Shudder has officially acquired and dated director Paolo Strippoli’s latest supernatural chiller, The Holy Boy (La valle dei sorrisi). Following an impressive run on the international film festival circuit that included official selections at both the Venice Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, the psychological horror title is set to make its exclusive streaming debut on the 27th November.
The story focuses on Sergio, played by Michele Riondino, a teacher haunted by his past who relocates to the secluded village of Remis, an idyllic settlement widely celebrated as the happiest town in Italy. Sergio quickly realizes that the community’s cheerful exterior conceals a dark secret. Every week, the local residents assemble to embrace Matteo, played by Giulio Feltri, an introverted fifteen-year-old whose physical touch possesses the supernatural ability to absorb and eliminate pain, grief, and emotional agony. As Sergio discovers the exploitation underpinning the town’s devotion to the boy known as the “Angel of Remis,” his intervention to free the teenager provokes a dangerous, vengeful backlash from the villagers desperate to keep their suffering at bay.
Written by Strippoli alongside Jacopo Del Giudice and Milo Tissone, Strippoli previously gained international attention co-directing Netflix’s breakout hit A Classic Horror Story before helming the grim urban horror feature Piove. The Holy Boy is the filmmaker’s third feature release, arriving ahead of his fourth upcoming project, The Spiral (L’estranea).
Alongside leads Riondino and Feltri, the cast includes Paolo Pierobon, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Sergio Romano, Anna Bellato, Sandra Toffolatti, and Roberto Citran.
Presented in its original Italian language, The Holy Boy will be available to stream exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ starting November 27.
