Italian Studies

Play trailer

1:56

Italian Studies

2022

1h 21m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

20%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

From award-winning filmmaker Adam Leon, Italian Studies is a lyrical film about dislocation, connection, and the elusive nature of identity. While visiting New York City from her native London, writer Alina Reynolds (Academy Award®-nominee Vanessa Kirby) inexplicably loses her memory and suddenly becomes unmoored and adrift on the streets of Manhattan with no sense of time or place -- or even her own name. As Alina's consciousness swings between imagined conversations, fragments of her own short stories and the bustling city around her, she finds an anchor in charismatic teenager Simon (Simon Brickner). Drawn to the lost woman, Simon soon introduces Alina to his free-spirited group of friends, and together they make their way through a disorienting cityscape full of life, beauty, and music.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Vanessa Kirby is always a magnetic screen presence, but Italian Studies is too disjointed and superficial to take advantage of her talents.

Read Critics Reviews

Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

01/26/2022

I don't really know what they're aiming for here... There needs to be a point to why we're telling this particular story in this particular way.

Go to Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

01/20/2022

2/4

It's only 81 minutes long but feels like an eternity or two.

Go to Full Review

Glenn Kenny

New York Times

01/19/2022

Its idea of time is multidimensional, as is its idea of form.

Go to Full Review

Joseph Tomastik

Loud and Clear Reviews

10/04/2024

3.5/5

One of those films you need to feel before you begin to understand. That’s always a huge gamble ... But something this unique and distinguished, as well as refreshingly short, is at least worth one viewing.

Go to Full Review

Bill Bria

Vague Visages

06/06/2023

In essence, Italian Studies is a movie made up of bits and pieces that never quite coalesce, and perhaps that’s its entire point.

Go to Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

11/18/2022

70/100

An impulsive saturnine film that follows Vanessa Kirby as she billows around New York City for an unclear amount of time in an amnesiac fugue state. The non-linear timeline of the film accentuates the

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Sal D.

@JustTheLaw Feb 4

I am an appreciator or art house cinema but I honestly cannot tell whether this film was a failed experiment or simply not well thought and directed collection of scenes, with no particular arc or purpose. Kirby does her part without question - but the rest of the movie falls way flat on its face.

See more

John A

@ExcessMale 03/23/2023

The director's vision makes for a fairly confusing picture however the cinematography is nice and there are some striking visual flourishes.

See more

01/30/2022

I can honestly say this was the worst movie I have seen in the past decade. I kept hanging in hoping it would get better and it just never did. If I could have recovered the lost minutes of my life I spent on it I would. It just never came together. The actors themselves were not what made it so bad it was the story and the sad part is they could have done so much more with it. Don't waste your life on this one, take a nap instead.

See more

01/15/2022

Italian Studies is a strange experience that doesn’t work as well as it should. Vanessa Kirby was great as always. I also really liked all of the teenagers. Another highlight was the score. It really enhanced the mood and the tone of the film. There really isn’t much of a story. The film just meanders on throughout its very short runtime. I just kept waiting for the film to have a reason to exist, and I don’t think it does. There’s some nice atmosphere but it doesn’t add to much. Overall, this was pretty mediocre. I wish the film was more focused, because it had the atmosphere and lead performance to be great. Sadly, the film doesn’t succeed. I will continue being excited for whatever Vanessa Kirby does next.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Adam Leon

Director

Vanessa Kirby

Alina Reynolds

David Ajala

Ade

Annika Wahlsten

Annika

Lars Wahlsten

Lars

Neil Comber

Neil

Petrol

100%

%

Petrol

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Petrol

Passing

91%

86%

Passing

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Passing

Wood and Water

100%

%

Wood and Water

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Wood and Water

Clara Sola

91%

78%

Clara Sola

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Clara Sola

Juniper

94%

78%

Juniper

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Juniper

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Italian Studies: Trailer 1

1:56

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

From award-winning filmmaker Adam Leon, Italian Studies is a lyrical film about dislocation, connection, and the elusive nature of identity. While visiting New York City from her native London, writer Alina Reynolds (Academy Award®-nominee Vanessa Kirby) inexplicably loses her memory and suddenly becomes unmoored and adrift on the streets of Manhattan with no sense of time or place -- or even her own name. As Alina's consciousness swings between imagined conversations, fragments of her own short stories and the bustling city around her, she finds an anchor in charismatic teenager Simon (Simon Brickner). Drawn to the lost woman, Simon soon introduces Alina to his free-spirited group of friends, and together they make their way through a disorienting cityscape full of life, beauty, and music.

Director: Adam Leon
Producer: Joshua Astrachan, Brad Becker-Parton, Jason Reif, Andrea Roa, Jamund Washington
Screenwriter: Adam Leon
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Animal Kingdom, Topic Studios, Tango Entertainment
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 14, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.5K
Runtime: 1h 21m

Most Popular at Home Now