The official trailer for Netflix’s upcoming Italian drama, The Hand of God, just dropped online.
The film comes from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, well known even amongst non-Italian audiences, thanks to several award-winning films, including 2013’s heavily awarded La Grande Bellezza.
The brief trailer, which hit YouTube in the early hours of Nov. 11, presents the film as “Italy’s official submission for International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.” The movie stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, and Luisa Ranieri.
In 2 minutes and 11 seconds, the trailer sets the scene for a film dripping with classic Italian emotion. It feels heartfelt and slightly morose, with heavy themes of passion, family, and the confusing journey to adulthood. It connects with the typical humanity most Italian films seek to communicate, while also presenting stunning cinematography, robust characters, and the overarching theme of loss.
Reviews for the film, which flash by as the trailer wends its way through tidbits of the movie’s storyline, note that “Sorrentino’s most personal movie is also his best,” and praise The Hand of God as “magical,” “moving,” “sensuous,” and “marvelous.”
The film, which some critics have dubbed a “masterpiece,” looks like a classic, but heartfelt, coming of age story. Rather than focus on the more surface-level issues many similar films orient themselves around, however, The Hand Of God appears poised to take on far heavier topics in its exploration of Fabietto’s journey into adulthood. In less than two and a half minutes, the trailer hints toward a story emphasizing community, family, and the precious relationship between loss and love.
The Hand of God debuted in Venice on Sept. 2, and will hit select theaters on Nov. 24. The film will be available for broader audience enjoyment when it arrives on Netflix on Dec. 15.
