I am behind on so much of my content, especially new movie releases. But I’m kicking myself for not watching Luca sooner. Luckily my friend Lin suggested it on my last night with them in Des Moines.
Luca is a Pixar movie about a boy who lives under the water (mermaid-sea monster hybrid) but his species takes on a human form when dry on land. Luca is fascinated by what may be above the surface, but with fearful parents, he has never been there. Then he meets another boy like him, Alberto, who has been living on his own on land and they strike up a very adorable, queer friendship. But when Luca’s parents find out they plan to send him “to the deep” (hello conversion therapy metaphor), so Luca and Alberto run away to the human town. Shenanigans ensure as they try to keep their sea monster selves a secret.
In true Pixar fashion, this story does shy away from big emotion. I laughed, I gasped, I felt all the things. While it got some criticism for not being explicitly queer (no one says “gay” and it’s not like Luca and Alberto kiss in it), the story is overtly queer coded. It’s more like the characters are young and exploring identity. Ultimately it’s a story about finding belonging. Predictably, I cried.
10/10 would watch again. Currently available on Disney+.
With Love,