World's Best (2023)

World’s Best is one of those rare family comedies that actually feels alive, bouncing between brainy charm and hip-hop daydreams with a musical energy that’s infectious without trying too hard. Roshan Sethi lets Prem’s grief and curiosity sit honestly on the screen, then lifts it with playful, imaginative rap-fueled sequences that make self-discovery feel like a celebration instead of a lecture. Manny Magnus is wonderfully winning as the math whiz chasing a new kind of rhythm, and Utkarsh Ambudkar brings real warmth and spark that turns the father-son connection into the movie’s beating heart. It does touch on loss and bullying, so it’s not purely light, but if you’re open to a sweet, sincere crowd-pleaser with catchy songs and a big-hearted vibe, this one earns its title.

World’s Best is aiming for a sweet, kid-friendly mashup of math-whiz coming-of-age and hip-hop fantasy, with grief and identity at the center. The problem is it often plays like an over-caffeinated after-school special: the jokes and big musical imagination sequences can feel corny, the plot piles on familiar beats, and the pacing rarely slows down long enough for the father-son connection to hit as hard as it wants to. If you’re allergic to earnest “believe in yourself” messaging and tidy life lessons, this will probably test your patience. That said, the young lead is likable, the movie has genuine warmth toward family and culture, and it can work nicely for tweens or parents looking for a safe, upbeat watch with a softer emotional undercurrent.