‘World’s Best’ Review: Roshan Sethi’s Coming-of-Age Dramedy Isn’t Exactly a Mic Drop

variety.com:

Michael Nordine author If you’d like to see the world’s saddest math equation, just watch “World’s Best.” After being given a lighthearted “equation of me” homework assignment on the first day of school, 12-year-old Prem Patel (Manny Magnus) formulates the following: Prem = (mom + dad) x math + Jerome – dad.” A math whiz still reeling from the loss of his father, Prem (it rhymes with “name,” not that anyone ever pronounces it correctly) proves easy to root for as he navigates adolescence in “7 Days” director Roshan Sethi’s coming-of-age dramedy.

But while the Disney+ original ultimately receives a passing grade, it doesn’t exactly ace the assignment the way its protagonist so often does.

Prem’s ostensible nemesis as he prepares for the upcoming Mathlympics competition is fellow math genius Claire (Piper Wallace), who literally haunts his stress dreams and proudly declares that her family “doesn’t celebrate summer” after being asked how she spent the last three months, while his best friend is aspiring Tik Tok star Jerome (Max Malas).

Then there’s his mother Priya (Punam Patel), who has spoken little of her deceased husband Suresh (Utkarsh Ambudkar) in the seven years since his passing.