The American Backyard

The American Backyard
Italian festival poster
ItalianL'orto americano
Directed byPupi Avati
Screenplay byPupi Avati
Based onThe American Backyard
by Pupi Avati
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyCesare Bastelli
Edited byIvan Zuccon
Production
companies
Distributed by01 Distribution
Release date
  • 7 September 2024 (2024-09-07) (Venice)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

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

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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

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Production

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ Lucchini, Giulia (7 September 2024). "Pupi Avati, "Torno al gotico per parlare con i morti"". Cinematografo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ Cook, Linda (27 July 2024). "Avatis' film, with parts shot in Davenport, to close Venice Film Festival". WHBF-TV. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. ^ Santacatterina, Manuela (3 December 2023). "L'orto americano: intervista a Pupi Avati". The Hollywood Reporter Roma (in Italian). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. ^ Cau, Marco (12 December 2023). "Pupi Avati torna al cinema con "L'orto americano", un film gotico tra amore e mistero". S&H Magazine (in Italian). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. ^ Cappelli, Valerio (4 August 2024). "Pupi Avati: «Torno a Venezia con un thriller gotico ed è la prima volta che giro un film in bianco e nero»". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. ^ De Marco, Camillo (25 July 2024). "Pupi Avati presents his new gothic horror film, L'orto americano". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  7. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (9 September 2024). "Review: American Backyard". Cineuropa. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  8. ^ Di Nicola, Emanuele (7 September 2024). "L'orto americano". Cinematografo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  9. ^ Pelonzi, Alessia (7 September 2024). "L'orto americano, la recensione: Avati omaggia Hitchcock e il gotico padano in un racconto affascinante ma irrisolto". Badtaste (in Italian). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ Casella, Paola (8 September 2024). "L'orto americano". Mymovies.it (in Italian). Retrieved 9 September 2024.
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