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The Holy Boy

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Tomatometer 6 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
When Sergio, a teacher tormented by his past, is transferred to Remis, a secluded village known as the happiest town in Italy, it seems the perfect place for a new start. But Sergio soon discovers that behind the town's joyful façade lies a dark and disturbing secret. Each week, the villagers gather to meet Matteo, an introverted fifteen-year old. They say Matteo is an angel whose embrace can free one of all pain and sorrow. But as Sergio realizes the village's relationship to the young man is not as benevolent as it seems, his attempt to save Matteo awakens the darker side of the community, and the boy everyone calls the angel of Remis.

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Romney Screen International Nov 26
Strippoli and his collaborators undoubtedly have a premise and a visual style that brim with invention, but the liability is an over-crammed, over-extended narrative that doesn’t know when to pull back from febrile overkill. Go to Full Review Jessica Kiang Variety Nov 26
Plot and character are knotted elegantly around a surprisingly melancholic core, that reminds us we need pain in our lives, even when our lives are made unlivable by that pain. Go to Full Review Peter Sobczynski RogerEbert.com Oct 27
Although not flawless, 'The Holy Boy' is an intriguing chiller that is more interested in trying to disturb viewers than in simply grossing them out. Go to Full Review Fausto Fernandez Fotogramas 2d
3/5
Between that combination of extreme and detailed realism in the local customs and folklore...The Holy Boy yields hope in a cinema of lyrical cruelty and chillingly Catholic. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Chad Collins Dread Central Oct 18
4/5
A holy experience in folk horror worth canonizing. Go to Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse Sep 29
Paolo Strippoli’s third feature may be as visually sparse as the tiny village that cages the film’s narrative, but The Holy Boy remains an emotionally potent and deeply unsettling work of folk horror. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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MB C @MB.Cinema Mar 5 Set in a quiet town, the story follows a teenage boy whose mysterious hugs can erase people’s pain....When a troubled new teacher arrives, the miracle begins to reveal a darker truth behind the town’s strange ritual....The script blends psychological horror with a coming-of-age story about identity, repression, and collective denial....While its ambitious themes sometimes overcrowd the narrative and the ending feels rushed, the central idea remains compelling....A haunting drama about the danger of burying pain instead of facing it.... See more Gabriele R @RT32792764 Sep 21 Trama che scorre e che esplode timidamente sul finale, trucco fatto benissimo prestazioni attoriali pure La fotografia insieme alle inquadrature sono magnifiche. Un lavoro di regia e di montaggio che è uno spettacolo da vedere. Il cinema italiano torna, finalmente, a risplendere nel mondo. See more Read all reviews
The Holy Boy

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Cast & Crew

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Paolo Strippoli

Director

Michele Riondino

Actor

Romana Maggiora Vergano

Actor

Paolo Pierobon

Actor

Roberto Citran

Actor

Giulio Feltri

Actor
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The Holy Boy

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Sergio, a teacher tormented by his past, is transferred to Remis, a secluded village known as the happiest town in Italy, it seems the perfect place for a new start. But Sergio soon discovers that behind the town's joyful façade lies a dark and disturbing secret. Each week, the villagers gather to meet Matteo, an introverted fifteen-year old. They say Matteo is an angel whose embrace can free one of all pain and sorrow. But as Sergio realizes the village's relationship to the young man is not as benevolent as it seems, his attempt to save Matteo awakens the darker side of the community, and the boy everyone calls the angel of Remis.
Director
Paolo Strippoli
Producer
Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci
Screenwriter
Paolo Strippoli, Jacopo Del Giudice, Milo Tissone
Production Co
Fandango, Nightswim, SPOK Films
Genre
Drama, Horror
Original Language
Italian
Runtime
2h 2m