Disruptions to the idyllic lives of the people in Remis, also known as the happiest town in Italy, are rare. But when Sergio, a former Judo champion with a tragic past, arrives to take over the school’s physical education program, his palpable pain puts him at odds with the town’s otherwise supernaturally cheerful inhabitants. Soon, he is initiated into Remis’s best-kept secret: once a week, the townspeople gather in a church to meet Matteo, a fifteen-year-old with some secrets of his own. His embrace promises to free its recipient of all their suffering, but this healing touch comes with consequences. Being the town’s savior is soul-crushing work and leaves little room for Matteo to live a life of his own or explore his blossoming queer desires. As the pressures on Matteo mount, Sergio searches for answers about this so-called angel, and the darkness inside his gift comes into disturbingly detailed focus.
Director Paolo Strippoli elegantly weaves a tapestry of contrasts and moral ambiguities that are mirrored in the film’s striking cinematography and production design. The Holy Boy thoughtfully contemplates the place of pain in our lives, matching its melancholic beauty with more than enough spine-chilling spectacle.
Genres: Horror; LGBTQ; triller; religion
Duration: 120′
Language: Italian with subtitles
Screenings
- Thursday, October 23 at 10:15pm, AMC Newcity 14
- Friday, October 24 at 2:00pm, Gene Siskel Film Center
Celebrating its 61st edition October 15 – 26, 2025, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America’s longest-running competitive international film festival. Showcasing acclaimed and exciting new films from around the world, the 61st edition will be held in person in theaters and venues around the city featuring a select program of films with open and closed captions. From dramas and thrillers to documentaries and comedies, the Festival presents a vast diversity of offerings, featuring competitive categories and programs including Black Perspectives; International Comedy; OutLook; After Dark; and the City & State program, showcasing films made in Chicago and throughout Illinois.