As the Vatican prepares to canonize Carlo Acutis on April 27, a new movie about the Italian saint is taking place.

Acutis died of leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006, and soon after his death stories about his holiness began to spread from around Italy. The young man was also venerated in England, where he was born and baptized, since his father was working there at the time.

Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality is being debuted on April 21 in Washington, DC, before airing at the Vatican on April 24.

Tim Moriarty is the director, producer, and writer behind the project, and said what first drew him to Acutis “was the authenticity of his faith.”

“Carlo’s life is a powerful reminder that holiness is not about retreating from the world. It is about entering into it with purpose, with clarity, and with a sense of the eternal,” he told Crux.

What follows is his full interview with Crux.

Crux: What about Carlo Acutis sparked your interest?

Moriarty: What first drew us to Carlo Acutis was the authenticity of his faith. He was an ordinary teenager in many ways. He loved soccer, played video games, and enjoyed learning to code. But at the same time, he went to daily Mass, prayed the Rosary, and had a deep love for the Eucharist. Carlo wasn’t someone who rejected the world around him. He lived in it fully, yet his heart was clearly anchored in something deeper and more lasting.

For those of us working in the media, we are always searching for stories that break through the noise of the moment and speak to what truly matters. Carlo’s life is a powerful reminder that holiness is not about retreating from the world. It is about entering into it with purpose, with clarity, and with a sense of the eternal.

We were especially struck by the way he used his skills in technology. He wasn’t interested in drawing attention to himself. Instead, he built a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles from around the world, sharing these stories in a way that was both beautiful and accessible. At a time when so much of the internet is filled with distraction and division, Carlo saw it as a space for communion. He used the tools of his generation not for consumption, but for connection. His witness reminded us that young people today need to hear that the Church is a place where they can bring their creativity, their curiosity, and their gifts — and that they are not only welcome, but deeply needed.

Roadmap to Reality is coming out as two other stories are being featured today: One is fictional – Adolescence, which is about a 13-year-old schoolboy arrested for the murder of a girl in his school, and is on Netflix; the other is true – the popular internet figure Andrew Tate is being accused of human trafficking and rape. He is famous for his misogynist views and describing a lifestyle based on partying and money. Is Carlo an antidote to this modern trend affecting boys and young men?

There’s no question that boys and young men today are navigating a difficult cultural moment. They’re bombarded with conflicting messages about success, identity, masculinity, and meaning. Much of what’s promoted in popular culture emphasizes image over substance, pleasure over purpose, and influence over integrity. In that landscape, it can be hard for young people—especially young men — to know who they’re supposed to be, or what kind of life is truly worth pursuing.

Carlo Acutis offers a radically different vision. He shows that it’s not only possible to live with faith and conviction in today’s world, but that doing so leads to joy, clarity, and peace. Carlo didn’t run from the challenges of being young in a digital age—he embraced the tools of his time and used them with purpose. He was creative, curious, kind, and prayerful. He didn’t try to impress people—he tried to serve them. And he did all of this not as a reaction against the culture, but as someone fully engaged in it, yet grounded in something deeper.

In many ways, Carlo is an antidote to the confusion and noise surrounding young men today. He shows that real strength lies in humility, that leadership comes from love, and that fulfillment doesn’t come from chasing attention but from giving your life away to something greater. That message is more urgent now than ever.

How did the visit to Rome affect the young people on the trip featured in the documentary?

As part of the documentary, we followed 150 high school students from North Dakota on a two-week pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, organized by the University of Mary. In fact, this journey became the main through line of our film. We wanted to see the world as Carlo did, and provide young people with a real guide. Our co-director, Christian Surtz, accompanied them on the journey, capturing moments both grand and quiet — liturgies at St. Peter’s, visits to sacred sites, conversations on bus rides, and, most powerfully, the silence before the tomb of Carlo Acutis.

One of the most striking aspects of the trip was the decision to go phone-free. At first, it wasn’t easy. Many of the students expressed discomfort and even a bit of panic at being disconnected. But gradually, as the days passed, we witnessed a visible change. Freed from the noise of constant notifications, they began to open up—to one another, to the beauty around them, and to the presence of God. They laughed more. They talked longer. They paid attention in ways that felt rare and refreshing.

By the time they arrived in Assisi, something had shifted. Visiting Carlo’s tomb wasn’t just a stop on the itinerary—it became a moment of encounter. For many of the students, Carlo felt less like a distant saint and more like a companion. A teenager who lived with joy, devotion, and a deep love for the Eucharist, while also loving soccer, coding, and video games. Several students told us it was the first time they had seriously considered that holiness could be something for them too. One young man said, “I too can be a saint. It’s for me. It’s for everyone.”

That’s the kind of effect Carlo has. His life resonates not because he was perfect, but because he was real. And in a culture where young people are bombarded by voices telling them to chase influence, image, and self-gratification, Carlo’s quiet but powerful witness shows another way—a life rooted in the Eucharist, in service, and in wonder.

What do we mean by calling him “God’s Influencer”?

When Carlo is referred to as God’s influencer, it’s not meant as a catchy label or a marketing phrase. It speaks to the heart of how he lived and how he used the tools of his time to lead others toward something greater than himself.

Carlo understood the culture he was part of. He knew the digital world — how it worked, how it captured attention, and how it shaped lives. But instead of using technology to build a platform or draw attention to himself, he used it to evangelize. His now-famous website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles wasn’t created for recognition; it was created out of love for the Eucharist and a desire to help others encounter Christ.

What made his influence so powerful was that it wasn’t limited to the internet. His daily life was filled with quiet acts of charity, kindness, and prayer. He defended kids who were picked on, gave to those in need, and constantly pointed others toward Jesus — often without saying much at all. His witness was simple, but deeply compelling.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome