Lucca’s World (2025) is a gut-wrenching and heartwarming film that strikes at the core of parental love, sacrifice, and the unspoken pain of watching your child struggle, especially when you're faced with the uncertainty of their health. If you are a parent, I'd suggest you step into this movie with caution. You might relate too much to the child’s pain, and the emotional turmoil could be a little too much for you to handle. I certainly did.

The film tells the true story of Barbara Anderson, a Mexican journalist, and her journey to find treatment for her son, Lucca, who was born with cerebral palsy. Their search for hope took them across the world, eventually leading them to India. If you're a reader, you might want to check her book, The Two Hemispheres of Lucca.

The pain of a parent is universal, and this movie doesn’t shy away from it. It digs deep into the raw emotions that surface when your child’s future seems uncertain. From a storytelling perspective, Lucca’s World is beautifully crafted. The pacing of the film, although at times slow, perfectly mirrors the emotional exhaustion of the parents as they traverse an endless cycle of waiting, hoping, and fighting. The film doesn’t rush. Its emotional beats allow you to breathe and resonate. The structure of the film is deliberate in showing not just the external battles with medical systems and treatments but also the internal emotional wars waged by Barbara and Andres.

Barbara Mori, who’s no stranger to playing complex characters, has delivered yet another stellar performance. Having worked with Hrithik Roshan in the past as part of a Bollywood film, where her portrayal of love and grief shone through in a completely different context, Mori once again brings depth to Bárbara’s character. Alongside her, Juan Pablo Medina as Andres provides a perfect counterbalance, bringing an understated yet deeply empathetic presence to the film.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the incredible performances by the children—especially Lucca, played by a young actor (Julian Tello if I'm right) whose portrayal of the struggles of living with cerebral palsy was heart-wrenching. While most of the film focuses on the adult characters, the childrens acting adds another layer of authenticity and emotion to the narrative. The young actor playing the other child brings a touch of realism to the scenes, providing the necessary contrast to the gravity of Lucca’s condition. Their presence offers a glimpse of normalcy and innocence that makes Lucca's struggle even more poignant. The directors and writers clearly gave attention to the children roles, allowing them to shine without overwhelming the central narrative.

And then there’s the added layer of realism for me—the portrayal of Dr. Kumar, beautifully enacted by Danish Husain, is a central figure who offers hope through an experimental treatment known as Cytotron. Interestingly, Mr. Husain was one of my college professors some 20 years ago, and watching him on screen felt truly surreal.

Side note: The real doctor, Rajah Vijay Kumar, is a well-known scientist and the founder of Cytotron technology. It's odd that, as an Indian, I had no idea about Dr. Kumar or Cytotron before watching this movie. Perhaps we need to celebrate such inventions and their inventors a little more loudly.

The direction by Mariana Chenillo is subtle but effective. She balances the grand scale of Lucca's health struggle with the intimate moments between family members, giving the audience a sense of both the isolation and the unity that come with such challenges. Chenillo’s ability to portray the complexity of a family dealing with such a serious condition is what makes the film feel so authentic.

Ultimately, the storytelling, direction, performances, and the touching contributions from the young actors make Lucca’s World a profound and deeply emotional experience. It’s a film that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll, reflecting on what it means to love fiercely, to sacrifice endlessly, and to never give up on hope.