Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- wistful
- intimate
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly found Michael Winterbottom's grief drama intelligent and emotionally grounded, with superb central performances despite some frustration with its execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joe and his daughters move from the United States to Genoa after Marianne's death, where each processes the loss differently.
Mary sees and talks to her dead mother, while the film leaves the status of these encounters uncertain.
Kelly's friendships, beach life, and sexual awakening unfold alongside the family's unresolved bereavement.
The summer teaching position places Joe and the girls in Genoa, where unfamiliar streets, beaches, and social circles reshape their routines.
Films like Genova, and why
The Sweet Hereafter
grief-centered family drama with an emotionally unsettled child and an Italian setting
The Descendants
intimate parent-child drama about mourning, displacement, and gradual emotional repair
Stealing Beauty
European summer setting combined with adolescent sexual awakening, family tension, and wistful melancholy
Rabbit Hole
quiet psychological drama about bereavement, memory, and a family's fragile adjustment
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Winterbottom
- Release Date
- 2009-04-02
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (114)
Cast
- Colin Firth
- Perla Haney-Jardine
- Hope Davis
- Catherine Keener
- Kerry Shale
- Alessandro Giuggioli
- Willa Holland
- Margherita Romeo
- Sara Stewart
- Trevor White
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Genova about?
- After their mother's sudden death, two sisters and their father spend a destabilizing summer in Genoa trying to live alongside grief.
- What is Genova like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Genova as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Genova violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Genova as mild.
- What did critics think of Genova?
- Critics broadly found Michael Winterbottom's grief drama intelligent and emotionally grounded, with superb central performances despite some frustration with its execution.
- Which films are like Genova?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sweet Hereafter, The Descendants, Stealing Beauty, and Rabbit Hole.
- How long is Genova?
- Genova runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Genova?
- In United States, Genova streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
