Luca - Ending Explained

The film's climax reveals that Alberto's father abandoned him long ago, explaining his desperate clinginess and his desire for a Vespa to run away from his loneliness. During the race, rain begins to fall, exposing the boys' true forms to the entire town. In a pivotal moment of growth, Luca chooses to stay with Alberto in his sea monster form rather than hide, leading to their eventual acceptance by the townspeople. The resolution is bittersweet: Luca uses the Vespa money to buy a train ticket to Genoa to attend school with Giulia, while Alberto stays behind to live with Massimo. This ending underscores that true friendship sometimes means letting someone go so they can reach their full potential, rather than keeping them close out of selfishness.

While the literal plot is a fantasy adventure, Luca is frequently interpreted through various lenses:

• LGBTQ+ Allegory: The "sea monster" status is seen as a metaphor for being queer, with the transformation representing "passing," and the reveal at the end representing coming out to a community that must choose to accept or reject them.
• Immigration Metaphor: Critics have noted parallels between the sea monsters and immigrants or refugees who must hide their culture and origin to assimilate into a new, often hostile, land.
• Neurodivergent Reading: Some viewers see Luca's hyper-focus on specific interests (the stars, mechanics) and his social awkwardness as an exploration of the neurodivergent experience in a neurotypical world.