The Holy Boy – Movie Review (4/5)

THE HOLY BOY is a new horror drama from Italy (org. title: La valle dei sorrisi), and it was so much better than I ever dared hope.  This is a religious horror story, but unlike the typical exorcism plot we’ve seen so many times. Read our full The Holy Boy movie review here!

THE HOLY BOY is a horror movie from Italy (org. title: La valle dei sorrisi). It does have a religious twist, as revealed by the English International title. The original Italian title actually means “The Valley of Smiles”, which also makes perfect sense for this story.

To me, this horror drama is perfect for a remake thanks to the core plot. Sure, Christianity is a key element of this storyline, but it could have been any belief system. Plus, the key story deals more with grief and sadness, which is as international as it gets.

Continue reading our The Holy Boy movie review below. The movie premieres at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2025, and will also be part of Fantastic Fest 2025.

The Valley of Smiles… and Sadness

As already covered, the original title of The Holy Boy is “La valle dei sorrisi,” which means the valley of smiles. However, the people of the village of Remis may be smiling, but they are also very sad.

When The Holy Boy opens, it’s with a scene that plays out in Remis, and then we jump a good 15 years into the future and continue in the present. Here, we meet the P.E. teacher Sergio (Michele Riondino), who is clearly grieving and seems downright tormented.

For a long time, we don’t know what has happened, but we hear the sound of someone struggling to breathe, and a rope rubbing against something. And yes, it will all be revealed, so I’m not getting into it here, but it reveals the source of Sergio’s trauma.

In any case, it’s a good thing that Sergio arrives in Remis as this secluded village is known as the happiest town in Italy. Something, Sergio must admit, seems to be true. Everyone is open and kind in an almost unnatural way.

Of course, The Holy Boy is a horror movie, so you already know there’s something strange and sinister going on underneath the surface of this happiness.

Hug him and feel happy

What you will soon discover is that the people of Remis are happy because someone takes away their pain and sadness. That someone is Matteo (talented newcomer Giulio Feltri), a fifteen-year-old introverted boy, who is in the midst of discovering who he is.

He is known as “their angel,” and they believe his embrace can free them of all pain and sorrow. That’s why the villagers gather to meet Matteo every week, so that he can take away their sadness.

However, no one seems to ask the most obvious question: Where does the sadness and pain go?

Well, that’s what Sergio asks as he gets to know Matteo. Of course, he also feels the effect of hugging Matteo, so he’s torn between being happy again and feeling that Matteo isn’t allowed to be a normal teenage boy with hopes and desires… and a same-sex crush.

As soon as Sergio tries to help Matteo, it becomes obvious that the villagers are not ready to give up their source of happiness. Of course, Matteo also starts to realize that maybe there could be more to life than being “the angel of Remis”.

The Holy Boy premieres at the Venice Film Festival

This new Italian horror drama caught my eye after just a minute of watching the trailer, but you never know if the actual movie will live up to the expectations the trailer can create. Fortunately for The Holy Boy, it was above and beyond what I expected.

The movie was directed by Paolo Strippoli (Netflix’s A Classic Horror Story, Flowing), who also wrote the movie alongside Jacopo Del Giudice (Flowing) and Milo Tissone (A Classic Horror Story).

Very appropriately, The Holy Boy / La valle dei sorrisi will premiere as a Midnight title at the Venice Film Festival. I can only imagine this will become an immediate film festival darling and audience favorite.

Not least thanks to the ending of The Holy Boy, which is awesome!

This Italian horror movie will go on to screen at Fantastic Fest, and I’m sure many other film festivals will also feature it later. When you get the chance, you should make sure to watch it.

The Holy Boy will have its Venice Premiere on August 31, 2025.

Details

Director: Paolo Strippoli
Writers: Jacopo Del Giudice, Paolo Strippoli, Milo Tissone
Cast: Michele Riondino, Paolo Pierobon, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Sergio Romano, Anna Bellato, Sandra Toffolatti, Roberto Citran, Giulio Feltri