Piranhas (2019 film)

Piranhas
Film poster
Directed byClaudio Giovannesi
Written byClaudio Giovannesi
Roberto Saviano
Maurizio Braucci
Based onThe Piranhas: The Boy Bosses of Naples
2018 novel
by Roberto Saviano
Produced byCarlo Degli Esposti
Nicola Serra
CinematographyDaniele Ciprì
Edited byGiuseppe Trepiccione
Music byAndrea Moscianese
Claudio Giovannesi
Distributed byVision Distribution
Release date
  • 12 February 2019 (2019-02-12) (Berlin)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguagesItalian
Neapolitan
Box office$2,285,086[1][2]

Piranhas (Italian: La paranza dei bambini, lit. 'The trawler of children') is a 2019 Italian drama film directed by Claudio Giovannesi. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival,[3] where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.[4]

Plot

A group of 15-year-old boys from the neighbourhood Rione Sanità in Naples, dreaming to gain power and easy money, make their way on to the city's world of crime. In the unconsciousness of their age, they live between good and evil deeds, thinking that crime can be their only chance of life.

Cast

  • Francesco Di Napoli as Nicola
  • Viviana Aprea as Letizia
  • Alfredo Turitto as Biscottino
  • Ar Tem as Tyson
  • Carmine Pizzo as Limone
  • Ciro Pellechia as Lollipop
  • Ciro Vecchione as 'O Russ
  • Luca Nacarlo as Cristian
  • Mattia Piano Del Balzo as Briatò
  • Pasquale Marotta as Agostino Striano
  • Valentina Vannino as Nicola's mother
  • Adam Jendoubi as Aucelluzzo

Reception

The film received critical acclaim at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.[5] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 58% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Piranhas fails to be anything more than another run-of-the-mill gangster drama."[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[7] The Upcoming gave it five stars out of five.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Piranhas". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Piranhas". The Numbers. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Selection for Competition and Berlinale Special Completed". berlinale. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Berlinale, 'La paranza' Orso d'argento alla sceneggiatura. Saviano: "Dedico il premio alle ong che salvano migranti"". La Repubblica. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  5. ^ "'La paranza' di Saviano emoziona Berlino: "Per quei ragazzi la vita è un videogame in cui non si vince mai"". La Repubblica. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Piranhas (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Piranhas". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  8. ^ Harvey, Mary-Catherine. "Berlin Film Festival 2019: Piranhas (La Paranza dei Bambini) - Review". Retrieved 17 February 2019.