Like France and Germany, Italy is among the European countries with a long and very rich film history. Indeed, it is practically impossible to name just 10 great Italian movies, but we did it anyway.
So at the 2014’s Academy Awards we finally saw a great new Italian film winning the Oscar for best foreign film again. About time, since the last Italian director who did so was Roberto Benigni with his sentimental but highly enjoyable La Vita é Bella in 1998. La Grande Belezza was truly a masterpiece, but I will elaborate more on that later. Hopefully Paolo Sorrentino put Italy back on the map as one of Europe’s (or the World’s) heavyweights in cinema, since we haven’t seen that many Fellini’s, Antonioni’s and Scola’s recently. Italy more or less dominated the best foreign film discourse from the 50’s up to the 80’s: between ’56 (the year the award was given for the first time) and ’81 an Italian film wasn’t nominated only four times. Besides, they still hold the record for receiving the biggest amount of foreign film Oscars: fourteen. Just to give you an idea. Those golden days may be over, but of course the Oscars can hardly be considered a great quality indicator of a nation’s film industry. It is way more interesting to take a look yourself at what Italy produced in recent years.
- New Italian movies in 2018
- Best Italian movies of 2017
- 2010-2018: Must-watch Italian movies on Netflix or DVD
New Italian movies in 2018
Top movies up for release in 2018Dogman
DIRECTOR: Matteo Garrone CAST: Adamo Dionisi, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano
Based on true events, the historical gangster flick evolves around the bloody murder of a dog groomer. Read more
Netflix | 
Amazon | All Release dates Lazarro Felice
DIRECTOR: Alice Rohrwacher CAST: Adriano Tardiolo, Agnese Graziani, Luca Chikovani, Alba RohrwacherThe new movie from Alba Rohrwacher, Italy’s most exciting female filmmaker of the moment.
... Read more Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Loro
DIRECTOR: Paolo Sorrentino CAST: Riccardo Scamarcio, Toni Servillo, Chiara Iezzi
One almost starts to wonder why Italian director Paolo Sorrentino didn't make this movie earlier; a biopic about controversial president Silvio Berlusconi. Starring his frequent collaborator Toni Servillo, this movie is the most important event in 2018 Italian cinema. Read more
RATING: 92/100 Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates
Netflix 
Amazon Best Italian movies of 2017
Top rated 2017 Italian moviesFortunata
DIRECTOR: Sergio Castellitto CAST: Stefano Accorsi Emanuela Aurizi Alessandro Borghi
Fortunata (Lucky) is Sergio Castellitto's (Non ti muovere, 2004) gripping new drama film about a recently divorced mother's struggles with life. She dreams of opening her own barbershop, but this proves to be difficult. When she falls in love with her daughter's psychologist, things seems to change for the better. Read more
RATING: 76/100
RELEASE DATE: May 20th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Call Me by Your Name
DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino CAST: Elena Bucci Vanda Capriolo Amira Casar
After 'A Bigger Splash', director Luca Guadagnino returns with another English language film set in his native Italy. And what a stunner it is. 'Call Me By Your Name', which is based on a 2007 novel, tells the story of an American adolescent living on the North Italian countryside in the 1980's. When an American student, who is slightly older, stays for the summer, a passionate love blossoms. 'Call Me By Your Name' is one of those rare movies that truly captures the magic of being in love for the first time. Read more
RATING: 93/100
RELEASE DATE: November 27th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Fai bei sogni (Sweet Dreams)
DIRECTOR: Marco Bellocchio CAST: Bérénice Bejo Valerio Mastandrea Fabrizio Gifuni
Massimo's idyllic childhood is shattered by the death of his mother. Years later, he is forced to relive his traumatic past and compassionate doctor Elisa could help him open up and confront his childhood wounds. Read more
RATING: 75/100
RELEASE DATE: February 24th, 2017
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Best Italian movies on Netflix or DVD in 2018
2010's best rated Italian movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD (Netflix, Amazon).La Migliore Offerta
DIRECTOR: Giuseppe Tornatore CAST: Geoffrey Rush Jim Sturges Sylvia Hoeks
Director Giuseppe Tornatore is back with his first film in English, after the disappointing Baarìa, a sentimental vehicle which can best be viewed as a two and a half hour olive oil commercial. La Migliore Offerta (The Best Offer in English) is a thrilling romantic drama about an eccentric art collector and auctioneer, Virgil Goodman, who falls in love with a girl who hires him to auction her deceased parents’ art collection. She doesn’t dare to show herself however, as she is suffering from a severe form of agoraphobia, and communicates exclusively behind a wall in her luxurious villa which is stuffed with art. Within time however, Virgil gains her trust and a passionate romance seems to commence… Read more
RATING: 78/100
RELEASE DATE: January 1st, 2014
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers)
DIRECTOR: Paolo Genovese CAST: Giuseppe Battiston Anna Foglietta Marco Giallini
A group of friends get together for what's supposed to be a nice dinner. As they set out, they invent a game: everyone has to share every text, whatsapp message or phone call they receive. They're all friends, so what do they have to hide for each other? A sly comedy about our times where everyone is connected all the time. Brilliant! Read more
RATING: 77/100
RELEASE DATE: February 11th, 2016
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Le Grande Bellezza
DIRECTOR: Paolo Sorrentino CAST: Toni Servillo Carlo Verdone Sabrina Ferilli
don´t really have something to add to the ever expanding euphoric discourse around this film. La Grande Bellezza is the ´Great Beauty´ indeed. A deeply melancholy picture about a once great writer, contemplating about his past life and ´beauty´ in the broadest sense of the word. A Felliniesque visual trip through modern day Rome with its artsy fartsy extravaganza, stuffed with beautifully composed scenes, tracking shots and impressive long takes, Sorrentino has proven himself as one the most gifted directors on earth. As you could have guessed, also our best Italian film of 2013. Read more
RATING: 77/100
RELEASE DATE: March 14th, 2014
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Il Capitale Umano
DIRECTOR: Paolo Virzì CAST: Fabrizio Bentivoglio Matilde Gioli Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
A wealthy family about to fall apart has been the recipe for quite some decent drama films. With Human Capital, an adaptation of the eponymous American novel, director Paolo Virzi manages to add a fresh touch to the subgenre by telling the story of the destinies two families tied together by an unfortunate accident through the eyes of three family members. It’s impressive how Virzi puts the pieces of the puzzle together in the emotional climax which is both wry and satisfying. Read more
RATING: 73/100
RELEASE DATE: April 18th, 2014
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Fuocoammare (Fire at sea)
DIRECTOR: Gianfranco Rosi CAST: Samuele Pucillo, Giuseppe Fragapane, Pietro Bartolo
One of the most poignant and heartbreaking documentaries you will see this year. Fuoccoammare is a poetic account of the troubles the small Italian island Lampedusa (and Europe in general) is facing, as thousands after thousands desperate North African immigrants wash ashore. Read more
RATING: 69/100
RELEASE DATE: February 13th, 2016
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Miele
DIRECTOR: Valeria Golino CAST: Jasmine Trinca Carlo Cecchi Libero De Rienzo
Miele. It’s a thought provoking film and a promising debut, even though it has its flaws. Miele is a young woman who devotes her life to helping terminally ill people out who see no other way than committing suicide. When a new, physically healthy but deeply depressed ‘client’ asks for Miele’s help, she sees herself confronted with some moral difficulties. A touching film, backed by a great soundtrack (Caribou, Talking Heads, Shearwater and Duran Duran among others), which ultimately tends a little bit too much to sentimentalism. Read more
RATING: 68/100
RELEASE DATE: October 15th, 2013
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Il Futuro
DIRECTOR: Alicia Scherson CAST: Manuela Martelli Luigi Ciardo Rutger Hauer
Il Futuro, which is based on Roberto Bolaño’s novel Una novelita lumpen, is a film that is hard to pigeonhole without using impossible and ultimately empty labels like ‘magical-realist coming-of-age crime romance’. Anyway, the story evolves around Bianca and Tomas, who’ve just become orphans after their parents died in a car crash. The girl, who’s slightly older and thus has a stronger sense of responsibility, tries to cope with the situation the best she can, while she sees her brothers’ situation worsening as he befriends the wrong people. These ‘friends’, persuasive as they are, ask Bianca to help them rob an old, blind former actor (Rutger Hauer!) who lives alone in an isolated villa. Reluctant at first, Bianca is getting more and more attached to the old man and eventually unwilling to follow through with the initial plan Read more
RATING: 58/100
RELEASE DATE: September 16th, 2013
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