'

I'm Not Scared

Play trailer

I'm Not Scared

R

Released Feb 8, 2003

1h 48m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

100 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In a small town in Italy in 1978, 9-year-old Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano) finds Fillipo (Mattia Di Perro), seemingly dead in a deep hole in the ground, while on a bike ride with friends. Terrified of what he has seen, Michele decides not to tell his father. After returning to the scene, Michele discovers that Fillipo is still alive and bound by a chain. Michele continues to keep his secret as he makes several visits to Fillipo, who has no memory of the events leading up to his captivity.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

A well-acted and thrilling coming-of-age tale that captures a child awakening to the frightening world of adults.

Read Critics Reviews

Will Self

London Evening Standard

If you had despaired of Italian cinema ever regaining the lyricism of the Tavianis and Rossellini, I'm Not Scared will come as a welcome surprise. And if you seek a good yarn well spun, you won't be disappointed.

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Independent (UK)

Rated: 5/5

Mar 7, 2005

Full Review

David Denby

The New Yorker

A lyrical throwback to such movies as René Clément's Forbidden Games (1952) and other works of the humanist European cinema of a half century ago.

Aug 1, 2004

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

"I'm Not Scared" suffers from ill-conceived staging and sluggish pacing. The film's theme that altruism and ignorance are punished is a careless postulate drawn from a kidnapping spree in Italy during the late '70s.

Rated: C-

May 6, 2009

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 5/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Nawt W

It became readily apparent that the intended age of the character does not actually match the actor's; hence, you're forced to wrestle with the constant discontent of why this almost 14-year-old kid treats another kid in a life-threatening situation with the reverence of a cool beetle that he found.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/30/23

Full Review

dave s

I suppose that it's difficult to say what you would do if you were a ten-year-old boy who stumbled across another young boy held captive by chains in a deep hole until you actually come across a young boy held captive by chains in a deep hole, but common sense would indicate that you might want to run it by your parents. Despite this leap of logic, the coming-of-age film I'm Not Scared is a fascinating mash up of genres and, despite its methodical pace, should hold the attention of most viewers for the duration. The acting by all of the kids is fantastic, the score is excellent and the cinematography is breathtaking throughout.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Between 3 and 3.5 stars. Good movie in which we see, from the eyes of a child, a very hard situation. It reaches a good equilibrium between raelity and the magic realism environment it creates in some moments.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Neat Italian mystery/thriller told mostly from the children's perspective.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

In "I'm Not Scared" a young Italian boy stumbles across a kidnap victim who has been chained up and concealed in a pit. They slowly form a friendship and gradually the boy uncovers the identity of the gang members who are behind the crime. An interesting enough plot but I didn't feel that there were enough scares and some opportunities to ramp up the tension in the plot were completely wasted. The kidnap victim, a little boy of about 10 years, isn't particularly likeable and the way he behaves seems to me to be quite bizarre. Where this could have actually been a taught thriller or a story of the loss of childhood innocence, I actually found "I'm Not Scared" to be pedestrian and safe.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A film of truly great beauty

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Gabriele Salvatores

Director

Giuseppe Cristiano

Michele

Mattia Di Perro

Filippo

Adriana Conserva

Barbara

Fabio Tetta

Antonio Natale

Giulia Matturo

Maria

The Legend of 1900

56%

91%

The Legend of 1900

Watchlist

The Last Kiss

73%

79%

The Last Kiss

Watchlist

The Mudge Boy

77%

72%

The Mudge Boy

Watchlist

The Caveman's Valentine

46%

51%

The Caveman's Valentine

Watchlist

Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran

85%

86%

Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In a small town in Italy in 1978, 9-year-old Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano) finds Fillipo (Mattia Di Perro), seemingly dead in a deep hole in the ground, while on a bike ride with friends. Terrified of what he has seen, Michele decides not to tell his father. After returning to the scene, Michele discovers that Fillipo is still alive and bound by a chain. Michele continues to keep his secret as he makes several visits to Fillipo, who has no memory of the events leading up to his captivity.

Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Producer: Marco Chimenz
Screenwriter: Niccolò Ammaniti, Francesca Marciano
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Tele+, Cattleya, Medusa Film, Colorado Film
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.6M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now