| A | Fantastic Fest 2025 |
I am stunned by the vision of this director/co-writer.
The script was fascinating. It kept “unfolding,” revealing layer after layer. It kept shifting through genres.
There were some amazing visuals. Not just the 2-D compositions within some scenes (which were there, for sure), but also the kinetic flow of a couple of particularly brilliant scenes.
And it stirred up some true emotion.
I wish I could go into more detail, but I would not want to ruin any of the new pieces of information that are revealed on the journey through this film. I will say this: This is the first movie to ever make me think, “Oh, sometimes horror goes both ways…”
Interesting side note: The original Italian name of this movie is La Vallei dei Sorresi, which according to the sign at the edge of the town (and its translation in the film) means “The Valley of Smiles.” But in America, they’re going with “The Holy Boy.”
