The American Backyard
| The American Backyard | |
|---|---|
 Italian festival poster | |
| Italian | L'orto americano |
| Directed by | Pupi Avati |
| Screenplay by | Pupi Avati |
| Based on | The American Backyard by Pupi Avati |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Cesare Bastelli |
| Edited by | Ivan Zuccon |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | 01 Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
The American Backyard (Italian: L'orto americano) is a 2024 Italian gothic horror film written and directed by Pupi Avati, based on his 2023 novel of the same name. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2024 as the festival's closing film.
Premise
[edit | edit source]In 1940s Bologna, a troubled young man falls in love with an American nurse, Barbara. The following year, he travels to the American Midwest and settles next door to Barbara's mother, who hasn't heard from her daughter since the end of the war, leading the man to embark on a tense search for her.
Cast
[edit | edit source]- Filippo Scotti as the young writer
- Rita Tushingham as Flora, Barbara's mother
- Armando De Ceccon as Glauco Zagotto
- Roberto De Francesco as Emilio Zagotto
- Chiara Caselli as Doris
- Romano Reggiani as the public prosecutor
- Morena Gentile as Arianna
- Massimo Bonetti as the presiding judge
- Mildred Gustafsson as Barbara
- Robert Madison as Major Capland
- Nicola Nocella as a nurse
- Patrizio Pelizzi as the assizes court judge
- Cesare Cremonini as Ugo Oste
- Andrea Roncato as the marshal
- Claudio Botosso as the legal expert
- Alessia Fabiani as the innkeeper
Production
[edit | edit source]Regarding the macabre crimes in his film, Avati stated, "I didn't invent anything. These are stories that happened from the Monster of Florence to now. It's the least inventive and most realistic part. I'm more interested in the psychological and psychiatric part. Mine is a story of enormous and extreme loneliness. The protagonist is the loneliest man there is."[1] Principal photography took place in Rome, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Forlì, as well as Davenport, Iowa, in the United States.[2] Filming began in December 2023 and continued into 2024.[3][4]
Release
[edit | edit source]A teaser trailer was released on 26 August 2024. The film closed the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2024.[5][6]
Reception
[edit | edit source]Davide Abbatescianni of Cineuropa called the film "a truly over-the-top noir gothic thriller, unsettling and ridiculous".[7] Emanuele Di Nicola of Cinematografo.it gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars, calling it "an arcane and mysterious story, a tale of fear that is also a declaration of being".[8] Alessia Pelonzi of Badtaste called the film "fascinating but unresolved".[9] Paola Casella of Mymovies.it gave the film two-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Avati is, as always, very skilled at creating suspended atmospheres, even if here he risks disorientation."[10] On the other hand, A.S. Chianese of Nocturno gave the film four-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "The American Backyard testifies to Avati's firm will to handle at all costs that refined film material that went to compose the American horror classics."[11]
Awards and nominations
[edit | edit source]| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nastri d'Argento | 2025 | Best Director | Pupi Avati | Nominated | [12] |
| Best Actor | Filippo Scotti | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Roberto De Francesco | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Cesare Bastelli | Nominated |
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- The American Backyard at IMDbLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- 2024 films
- 2020s Italian films
- 2020s Italian-language films
- 2020s mystery horror films
- 2020s supernatural horror films
- 2024 horror films
- Films about death
- Serial killer films
- Films about writers
- Films based on Italian novels
- Films directed by Pupi Avati
- Films set in 1946
- Films set in Bologna
- Films set in the Midwestern United States
- Films shot at Cinecittà Studios
- Films shot in Emilia-Romagna
- Films shot in Rome
- Films shot in Iowa
- Italian black-and-white films
- Italian historical horror films
- Italian mystery horror films
- Italian supernatural horror films
- Italian gothic horror films
- Rai Cinema films