The Hand of God

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The Hand of God

R

Released Dec 3, 2021

2h 10m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

83%

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157 Reviews

76%

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500+ Ratings

From Academy Award-winning writer and director Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo, The Great Beauty, The Young Pope) comes the story of a boy, Fabietto Schisa, set in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s. The Hand of God is a story full of unexpected joys, such as the arrival of football legend Diego Maradona, and an equally unexpected tragedy. Fate plays its part, joy and tragedy intertwine, and Fabietto's future is set in motion. Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell his most personal story, a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.

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Critics Consensus

Although The Hand of God isn't Sorrentino's best work, this beautifully filmed coming-of-age story sings in a beguiling, albeit minor, key.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

The Hand of Godis filled with the kind of detail that could only have come from observation-and memory. That one family could contain so many unique and peculiar people is a reminder that truth is almost always stranger than fiction.

Jan 6, 2022

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Robert Levin

Newsday

This is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that doubles as a movie about the movies themselves.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 6, 2022

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

The film has the vividness of memory, but also the structure of memory, which is to say no real structure at all. Visually, though, the movie is of a piece; it's Sorrentino's eye that holds it together.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 22, 2021

Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Paolo Sorrentino’s new Netflix feature, The Hand of God, is an expectedly poetic coming-of-age drama set against a sun-kissed Neopolitan backdrop.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 18, 2024

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Sorrentino uses the coming-of-age genre to turn his own personal tragedy into a beguiling fable of family and creativity lost and found.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Nuha Hassan

Nuha Hassan (Medium)

The Hand of God is a love letter to Italy and for Sorrentino, it becomes a form of escapism and a humane portrayal of a grief-stricken teenager as he enters a new world.

Jul 21, 2023

Full Review

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Joe K

Meandering directionless film, I found most of the character unlikable. Scenes dragged on way too long and I just kept loosing interest. I had to stop watching halfway through and I very rarely do that for any movie.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/15/24

Full Review

coronavirus k

evil captilas in the house go hey

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/13/24

Full Review

Kevin M

A coming of age tale of a young man growing up in Naples, Italy in the 1980’s. The partly autobiographical film of the filmmaker’s youth makes effective use of long shots of the young man staring at the events unfolding around him during that time in life when you feel more like a spectator than a participant in your own life. It’s the tale of a people-watcher that becomes a filmmaker. Ultimately, forgettable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/24

Full Review

Dina F

I will always come back to this film, its beautiful!! of course Sorrentino made this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/06/24

Full Review

Alec B

It's just weird enough to have a real sense of authenticity, something a lot of other coming of age films lack.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

Jill C

Heart. What a mess our hearts make, what a beautiful messy love.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

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Paolo Sorrentino

Director

Filippo Scotti

Fabietto Schisa

Toni Servillo

Saverio Schisa

Teresa Saponangelo

Maria Schisa

Marlon Joubert

Marchino Schisa

Luisa Ranieri

Patrizia

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The Hand of God: Trailer 1

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The Hand of God: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

From Academy Award-winning writer and director Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo, The Great Beauty, The Young Pope) comes the story of a boy, Fabietto Schisa, set in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s. The Hand of God is a story full of unexpected joys, such as the arrival of football legend Diego Maradona, and an equally unexpected tragedy. Fate plays its part, joy and tragedy intertwine, and Fabietto's future is set in motion. Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell his most personal story, a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.

Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Producer: Lorenzo Mieli, Paolo Sorrentino
Screenwriter: Paolo Sorrentino
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Film Commission Regione Campania, The Apartment Pictures, Regione Campania, Netflix
Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Sexual Content|Some Graphic Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2021
Runtime: 2h 10m

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