‘Carlo Acutis: Roadmap To Reality’ Challenges Teens To Reconnect With Faith
(REVIEW) In an age increasingly ruled by smartphones and social media, “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” arrives as a timely and stirring documentary that invites viewers to pause, reflect and reconnect — with others, with the world around us and with something greater than ourselves.
Written and co-directed by Tim Moriarty, this 90-minute documentary recounts the story of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian computer whiz and devout Catholic who died of leukemia in 2006 and now set to be canonized a saint this coming Sunday.
Yet “Roadmap to Reality” is far more than just a biographical account. In many ways, it’s a mirror held up to modern culture, asking tough questions about technology, loneliness and the human need for transcendence.
LISTEN: Interview With Sabrina Ferrisi On The Life Of Carlo Acutis
Acutis — known as “the millennial saint” or “God’s influencer” — is a compelling protagonist for our time. Born in 1991, Acutis moved from London and was raised in Milan by non-practicing Catholic parents. Acutis’ passion for attending Mass at a very young age and his surprising spiritual maturity led his own mother to the Catholic faith.
By blending his tech skills with a deep love for God, the teen created virtual exhibitions and databases on Eucharistic miracles — when the bread and wine are believed to change into the physical body and blood of Jesus — and the reported sightings of the Virgin Mary. Acutis died in 2016 from leukemia at just age 15.
in 2018, Pope Francis recognized Acutis’ dedication and love for Christ, declaring him “venerable” — a title bestowed upon a dead person recognized for having lived a life of heroic virtues — and two years later was credited by the Vatican for his intercession in the healing of a child with a pancreatic disease. After a second miracle attributed to the intercession of Acutis was confirmed in May 2024, Pope Francis granted approval that summer to continue forward with canonization.
This inspiring documentary anchors the teen’s story with contemporary relevance by following a group of teenagers from North Dakota on a pilgrimage to Acutis’ tomb. As the camera trails them through their journey (all of them without their smartphones), what emerges is a powerful portrait of young people searching for meaning in a society that often isolates them behind screens powered by curated algorithms meant to isolate them.
Ultimately, their pilgrimage is as much spiritual as it is physical — an example of the hunger for real connection, community and purpose so many young people (a group that increasingly suffers from high levels of anxiety and depression) so crave these days.
Interviews with Acutis’ family and friends adds emotional depth and authenticity to the film’s biographical segments. His mother Antonia’s reflections are particularly moving, as she recounts being led to the Catholic faith through the strong convictions of her son. The voices of several notable clergy — including Msgr. Roger Landry, national director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, and the Rev. Andrew Cozzens, bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minn. — adds theological and philosophical weight to the film, putting Acutis’ witness within the broader movements of Eucharistic revival and the modern church’s mission to help others find meaning in this world.
What “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” does best, however, is highlight the modern struggle to stay human in an increasingly virtual world. It doesn’t condemn technology outright. Instead, the film suggests a reorientation — using digital tools to enhance, rather than replace, real-world relationships and spiritual practice. In a sense, the film allows Acutis to become not just a figure of veneration, but a model for balance and hope at a time when teens rack up hours and hours of screen time.
The documentary not only offers a portrait of the soon-to-be saint, but also a roadmap for the rest of us — especially the teenagers — yearning for a life of substance and connection. Thought-provoking and very profound, “Roadmap to Reality” is a moving invitation to rediscover what really matters to us all in a world where we’re constantly scrolling on our devices has replaced reality.
“Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” opens in select theaters starting Friday.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged.