The Hand of God
A funny, sensual, and aching portrait of a football-obsessed Neapolitan teenager whose family tragedy awakens an instinct for cinema.
Overview
A young man's passion for football intertwines with family tragedy, shaping his future in filmmaking.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- sensual
- exuberant
- reflective evening
- international cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised its exuberant autobiographical voice, vivid cinematography, emotional immediacy, and coming-of-age perspective, while viewing it as a somewhat minor Sorrentino work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fabietto’s adolescence is transformed by family tragedy, which redirects his uncertain future toward filmmaking.
The film is semi-autobiographical and follows a teenage version of Paolo Sorrentino in Naples.
Daria D’Antonio’s acclaimed cinematography gives domestic scenes, eccentric relatives, and Naples an exuberant, vivid presence.
1980s Naples, its neighborhoods, coastline, football fervor, and social rhythms shape Fabietto’s memories and development.
Films like The Hand of God, and why
The Souvenir
Both are autobiographical-feeling coming-of-age dramas about adolescence, family memory, grief, and the emergence of an artistic vocation.
Amarcord
Both blend wistful family recollection, eccentric characters, sensuality, and cinematic self-discovery through a richly personal autobiographical lens.
The Great Beauty
Both are visually sumptuous Italian dramas focused on youthful self-discovery, loss, social spectacle, and the tension between ordinary life and artistic transformation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Paolo Sorrentino
- Release Date
- 2021-11-24
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (1817)
Cast
- Filippo Scotti
- Toni Servillo
- Teresa Saponangelo
- Luisa Ranieri
- Marlon Joubert
- Massimiliano Gallo
- Betti Pedrazzi
- Renato Carpentieri
- Enzo De Caro
- Sofya Gershevich
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hand of God about?
- A funny, sensual, and aching portrait of a football-obsessed Neapolitan teenager whose family tragedy awakens an instinct for cinema.
- What is The Hand of God like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hand of God as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Hand of God violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Hand of God.
- What did critics think of The Hand of God?
- Critics broadly praised its exuberant autobiographical voice, vivid cinematography, emotional immediacy, and coming-of-age perspective, while viewing it as a somewhat minor Sorrentino work.
- Which films are like The Hand of God?
- Films with a similar feel include The Souvenir, Amarcord, and The Great Beauty.
- How long is The Hand of God?
- The Hand of God runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hand of God?
- In United States, The Hand of God streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
