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‘the catholic school’ (‘la scuola cattolica’): film review | venice 2021.

In Stefano Mordini’s film, based on Edoardo Albinati’s fact-based novel of the same name, a group of young, privileged men commit a disturbing crime.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

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The story starts like this: A woman hears a noise — it sounds like a cry for help — from her apartment in a tony neighborhood in Rome and calls the police. The uniformed officers arrive and find two teenage girls locked in the trunk of a Fiat 127, their bodies brutally maimed and scarred. One of them, 17-year-old Donatella Colasanti, is shaken but alive; the other, 19-year-old Rosaria Lopez, is dead. Two of their attackers have been found and the other, perhaps tipped off, has fled.

The Circeo massacre, as the rape and murder would come to be known, shook Italian society. It was 1975 and the aggressive crime, committed by three young men who attended San Leone Magno, a prestigious all-boys Catholic high school, was a reminder of the misogyny, classism and fascism festering within the nation. Eduardo Albinati chronicled this harrowing tale in his 2016 novel, The C atholic School . Albinati attended the same school as the accused, and his semi-autographical story uses the crime as a lens for examining the institution’s toxic environment and inherent contradictions. In the film version, which premiered at Venice, Italian director Stefano Mordini translates Albinati’s novel into an uneven and at times distressing cinematic experience.

Full credits

Venue: Venice Film Festival (Out of Competition) Production companies: Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, Picomedia Cast: Benedetta Porcaroli, Giulio Pranno, Emanuele Maria Di Stefano, Giulio Fochetti, Leonardo Ragazzini, Alessandro Cantalini, Andrea Lintozzi, Guido Quaglione, Federica Torchetti, Luca Vergoni, Francesco Cavallo, Angelica Elli, Gianluca Guidi, Corrado Invernizzi, Beatrice Spata, Giulio Tropea, Fabrizio Gifuni, Fausto Russo Alesi, Valentina Cervi, Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca Director: Stefano Mordini Screenwriters: Massimo Gaudioso, Luca Infascelli, Stefano Mordini Based on the novel by Edoardo Albinati Producers: Roberto Sessa Executive producer: Chiara Grassi Cinematographer: Luigi Martinucci Production designer: Paolo Bonfini Costume designer: Grazia Materia Music: Andrea Guerra Casting director: Francesca Borromeo

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Catholic School’ on Netflix, a Muddled, Fictionalized Dramatization of a Notorious Italian ‘Massacre’

Where to stream:.

The Catholic School

Based On A True Story

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Now on Netflix, The Catholic School is a horrific BOATS ( Based On A True Story ) movie based on an incident known as the Circeo Massacre, in which two women were tortured and raped, one of them murdered, by three upper-middle-class young men. The events were fictionalized in Edoardo Albinati’s award-winning novel The Catholic School , here adapted by director Stefano Mordini from 1,200 pages to 106 minutes. As it follows the peer group from an all-boys school that spawned the three perpetrators, the film makes plenty of inferences about their background and upbringing, thus setting it up as a potentially provocative watch.

THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: A muffled voice calls for help from inside the trunk of a white Fiat. A sweaty young man hurries away; a passerby hears the woman’s pleas. Flash back six months: a priest leads two rows of Catholic school boys, wearing Speedos, in calisthenics. Voiceover narration: “It was 1975, and violence was commonplace.” That’s Edo (Emanuele Maria Di Stefano) sharing his point-of-view. Is the violence commonplace in society or just in his high-tuition private Catholic high school? Likely both. But a group of seniors is being taken to task for assaulting a schoolmate and breaking his glasses. Gianni (Francesco Cavallo) sits down to face the music; his dad (Ricardo Scamarcio) gets him off the hook by promising to donate to the school, then takes him home and beats him with a belt.

We meet a smattering of Edo’s classmates: Smart kid Arbus (Giulio Fochetti), who’s cramming two years of schooling into one so he can graduate early. Pik (Alessandro Cantalini), a hopeless goofus who’s the son of a famous actress (Jasmine Trinca) who’s having an affair with their handsome, leather-jacketed classmate Jervi (Guido Quaglione). Angelo (Luca Vergoni), who we recognize as the sweaty young man from the opening scene, who psychologically terrorizes his brother Salvatore (Leonardo Ragazzini) for being gay. Gioacchino (Andrea Lintozzi) is outed as the only one in the group who actually believes in God; his sister Lia (Beatrice Spata) carries a huge torch for Jervi, who absolutely will take advantage.

The story hops back and forth between scenes occurring months before the abduction, and those just hours prior. The boys drink and carouse. They fumble in the dark with girls. They watch from afar as their priest headmaster picks up a prostitute. They easily bypass rules set forth by their inattentive parents. They study. They talk about a friend who’s just been released from prison. Pik plays with a sword, holding it to his mother’s throat as she sleeps. Gianni fires a shotgun, hunting pheasant with his father, who advises him to be cold-blooded and ruthless. Angelo and Gianni befriend two girls, Donatella (Benedetta Porcaroli) and Rosaria (Federica Torchetti), and take them to a remote villa, where the boys hold a gun to the girls’ heads and spend an ungodly amount of time physically and psychologically brutalizing them.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The Catholic School boasts some of the fodder of a coming-of-age tale like Dead Poets Society with the immersive period-drama feel of House of Gucci crossed with David Chase’s ’70s memoir Not Fade Away – and by the end the movie takes a drastic turn and finds itself standing in the shadow of Michael Haneke.

Performance Worth Watching: In limited screen time, and despite being stuck with a grossly underdeveloped character, Porcaroli finds an expressive, nonverbal dramatic foothold in Donatella’s trauma.

Memorable Dialogue: Edo’s voiceover: “The three pillars of our education were persuasion, threat and punishment.”

Sex and Skin: Full-frontal nudity in extended scenes of occasionally graphic sexual assault.

Our Take: There’s a scene in The Catholic School where our group of boys – psychos, good kids, bystanders and the bullied alike – are subject to a lesson on morality in front of a classical painting portraying Christ being beaten by six men. Their instructor engages with his pupils, all of them following a series of circular-logic back-and-forth parries and dodges that put Christ and assailants on the same moral ground. And then, the movie loudly implies, we wonder why some of these young men might commit heinous, violent crimes.

So it’s religion’s fault. And the parents’ fault. And the money’s fault. And the school’s fault. And society’s fault. And, to go broader, hypocrisy’s fault. Let’s go broader still: It’s God’s fault! Lousy God – always creating people who do awful, awful things.

Yet by extrapolating thusly (tongue in cheek, of course), I lend the film a clarity it lacks. The manner in which it introduces the sprawling cast of characters is sloppy and confusing, and it further muddies the proceedings with its senseless narrative time-hopping. It frequently diverts from Edo’s point-of-view, and it soon becomes obvious that the big-picture statements in the narration are an adhesive applied to the film’s many moving parts, which threaten to spring apart at any moment. Some of the mini-arc subplots serve to enrich a portrait of a community built on exclusivity and dysfunction, which would be fine in a 10-episode miniseries, but are extraneous in a feature – even Edo, our narrator, feels like an eminently cuttable vestigial appendage in a movie that could really use more quality screen time for fewer characters.

Like, say, the victims of the crime. Porcaroli and Torchetti are stripped nude and subject to horrors in an extended finale that veers into exploitation territory. What began as a nostalgia piece with hints of darkness becomes Funny Games , but without the bleak fascination Haneke inspires in audiences (those that can hang on until the end, anyway). There’s a moment in The Catholic School where a student is admonished for turning in a paper praising Adolf Hitler, and it conjures the vibes of budding fascism we saw in Haneke’s bleak coming-of-age fiction The White Ribbon . Haneke’s films surge forward with searingly unstoppable inevitability. The Catholic School rolls and sputters and stalls, posturing like a bold statement, but ultimately delivering only muddled implications about why bad people do bad things.

Our Call: SKIP IT. The Catholic School is a weird mixture of immersive period piece and distasteful exploitation. It has grand ambitions, but doesn’t come close to fulfilling them.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com .

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The catholic school, common sense media reviewers.

Violent, misogynist, true-life Italian murder-rape tale.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Society, faith, and familial pressure turn boys in

The only teens with compassion do nothing to stand

The action takes place in Italy with an Italian ca

Women are kidnapped, beaten, tortured, drugged, ra

Teens attempt to have consensual sex and in some c

"F--k," "s--t," "screw," "f--got," "d--k," "whore,

Cigarettes and alcohol are used. Kidnappers inject

Positive Messages

Society, faith, and familial pressure turn boys into malevolent men. Never be a snitch. Those who hurt others hurt themselves, too.

Positive Role Models

The only teens with compassion do nothing to stand up against bullies.

Diverse Representations

The action takes place in Italy with an Italian cast. A gay youth is bullied. A husband and father publicly announces he's gay and leaves his family.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Women are kidnapped, beaten, tortured, drugged, raped at gunpoint. One is murdered. Kicking and beating. Bruised faces and bodies. Women are forced to strip; rapes take place off-screen. High school-age boys have sex with young girls. A father hits his son. A macho father chides his son for being too emotional when he shoots while hunting. A painting of Jesus being beaten is discussed; it's suggested that evil, or the devil, motivates even the best in people. Jesus is said to be as much a perpetrator as a victim. Bullies flog a fellow student until his back is covered in welts. He seems to be sexually aroused by the attack. A student calls Adolph Hitler the greatest man in history. A youth pretends to attack his sleeping mother with a ceremonial sword. Boys laughingly refer to girls they raped as "pieces of meat." At the time of this incident, in Italian law rape wasn't considered a crime against a person but rather a crime against public morality; 20 years later the law changed. One perpetrator was released early from his life sentence for good conduct; he then killed two more women.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Teens attempt to have consensual sex and in some cases do. A mom is found in bed with a younger man. A dad is found kissing another man. A priest is seen picking up a sex worker. A teenage girl is seen masturbating under the covers. A gay student reaches under the desk during class to fondle another boy's crotch. Male and female full-frontal nudity.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k," "s--t," "screw," "f--got," "d--k," "whore," "p---y," and "bitch."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Cigarettes and alcohol are used. Kidnappers inject women with drugs.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Catholic School is based on true events in 1975 Italy, when privileged high school boys kidnapped and raped two girls, murdering one of them, in a sadistic spree and hideous display of toxic masculinity, just for fun. This is told in a bizarre chronological jumble. Consensual clothed sex is seen. The rapes are off-screen but sounds of pain are heard. Women are kicked, punched, and shot up with drugs. Students flog a fellow student until his back is covered in welts. He seems to be sexually aroused by the attack. A student calls Adolph Hitler the greatest man in history. Boys laughingly refer to girls they raped as "pieces of meat." Male and female full-frontal nudity is seen. A mom is found in bed with a younger man. A dad is found kissing another man. A priest is seen picking up a sex worker. A teenage girl is seen masturbating under the covers. A gay student reaches under the desk during class to fondle another boy's crotch. Language includes "f--k," "s--t," "screw," "f--got," "d--k," "whore," "p---y," and "bitch." Cigarettes and alcohol are used. In Italian with English subtitles. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Based on 1 parent review

Do your own judgement about the movie

What's the story.

Because the horrific true event THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL relentlessly moves toward is always looming ahead, all the jumping back and forth in time still points us toward the moment two privileged students, with the aid of a young ex-con, kidnap two girls, torture, drug, and rape them, eventually killing one. Views of their home lives, their struggles at school, and their personal quirks all lead to the sexual violence. The killers laughingly hope to murder both girls, but one survives. The rapist-killers were all given life sentences. One of them was released early from his life sentence for good conduct; he then killed two more women.

Is It Any Good?

It's difficult to see why The Catholic School needed to be made. It doesn't sit right that a story based on a heinous real-life crime implies that hideous acts of violence committed by teenage boys are attributable to the education they received at an elite parochial school. The movie is based on a prize-winning novelized version of the events written by Edoardo Albinati, who went to the title school, which he lists as a co-conspirator to the criminals along with families, fascism, and, mostly, the "requirements" of masculinity. Each of these boxes are dutifully ticked off in the movie, but no real connections are made between them and the barbarous acts that ensue. An unsafe, treacherous, violent society is inevitable, according to this view, a premise the movie scarcely questions (one or two gentle boys serve as exemplars of niceness).

Apart from its confusing structure and the lack of a main character, the movie's worst crime is that it seems designed to let the boys off the hook. A religious institution is to blame. Hypocrite parents are to blame. Priests who solicit sex workers are to blame. A corrupt society with fascist tendencies is to blame. A narrator explains that he can't be himself; he always has to say he agrees with the dominant and crude others to be accepted by the crowd. If he doesn't, he exposes his weakness, and that will make him a victim instead of an accepted member in good standing. But this is the framework of adolescence everywhere, and it doesn't automatically come with built-in rape and murder. It takes courage to say no and refuse to go along, a point that is never made here. Instead, straight from the book, it quotes, "Being born a boy is an incurable disease." For the most part, this just feels like an excuse for lingering voyeuristic views of naked girls with bruised breasts and faces. Women here are all ineffective in their lives, "evil" temptresses who deserve contempt, subservient and unhappy wives seeking sex with younger men or enduring the flings of a homosexual husband. It's a grim life shown here: You're either a bullying, poisonous male or a surrendered victimized woman.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why privileged young men might rape women when they could easily date and have sex with women who are willing.

Why do you think this is called The Catholic School ? What was going on at that school that's different from other all-boys schools?

How does the jumbled chronology affect the viewer's ability to follow what's going on? Do you think a straight chronological approach would have been more understandable? Why?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : September 14, 2022
Cast : Benedetta Porcaroli , Luca Vergoni , Francesco Cavallo
Director : Stefano Mordini
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Netflix
Genre : Drama
Run time : 106 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : February 17, 2023

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‘The Catholic School’ Review: A Dubiously Handsome Re-creation of a Hideous True Crime

Beautiful young men commit the ugliest of crimes in this uncomfortably stylish take on a notorious case that rocked 1970s Italian society.

By Jessica Kiang

Jessica Kiang

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“After that summer, nothing would be the same,” says Edo (Emanuele Maria Di Stefano), the narrator of “The Catholic School,” Stefano Mordini’s worryingly watchable, stylistically polished account of the lead-up to the tawdry and brutal real-life incident known to Italians as the Circeo Massacre. It is a curiously light beginning for a film that will end in an upsettingly extended sequence of torture and sexual violence, and it points to the queasy contradiction Mordini never resolves, between the painstakingly re-created, rueful coming-of-ager his film mostly is, and the unflinchingly ghoulish true-crime sadism-horror it suddenly becomes.

It is Rome in 1975, and Edo, along with the sons of half of Rome’s wealthy, untouchable elite, attends a private Catholic school in the suburbs. The boys are introduced to us, rather confusingly en masse, but eventually the unwieldy screenplay, co-written by Mordini and Massimo Gaudioso, Luca Infascelli, and based on the sprawling, multi-perspective book “La Scuola Cattolica” by Edoardo Albinati (the “Edo” of the film), pulls a few personalities out of the general impression of undifferentiated, good-looking, reckless Italian youth.

There’s Gianni (Francesco Cavallo), who is involved in a cruel incident early on — of course the most beautiful boys are the worst of the bullies — which gets him hauled before the headmaster, who is quickly, insinuatingly, bought off by Gianni’s father, Raffaele (Ricardo Scamarcio). At home, however, Raffaele makes violently clear his displeasure with his son, not because of the bullying itself, which he never mentions, but because Gianni has made him “look like an asshole.” There were rules, muses Edo in voiceover, but they were only ever randomly enforced and so the boys learned simply to behave as though there weren’t any and take punishments as and when they arrived.

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There’s Arbus (Giulio Fochetti), the smart one with the cool mom (Valeria Golino) and the pretty sister on whom Edo has a crush. There’s Pik (Alessandro Cantalini), the blond with the manic eyes of an incipient school shooter whose mother is an erstwhile movie star (Jasmine Trinca) who is herself having an affair with one of her son’s schoolmates, the motorcycle-riding, leather-jacketed Jervi (Guido Quaglione). And there’s pious, quiet Gioacchino Rummo (Andrea Lintozzi), who comes from a family of observant Catholics, except maybe for his sister Lia (Beatrice Spata), who furtively masturbates by night and looks longingly at Jervi by day.

And so on and so on: “The Catholic School” may be emulating the scope of Albinati’s 1,200-page opus in featuring so many mini-storylines, but compressed into a feature film, it translates to scrappiness, an impression not helped by the film’s subdivision into chapters that switch distractingly between countdown formats, from “5 months earlier” to “130 hours earlier” to “2 months earlier,” etc. In the middle of this plethora of character and this welter of incident, we’re expected to do math?

The intention, as Edo’s narration makes clear more than once, is to contextualize the upcoming crime within the framework of 1970s upper-crust Italian society: the unthinking machismo, the virulent homophobia, the blatant misogyny, the religious hypocrisy and the insolent privilege that allowed such evil to flourish. “Violence was everywhere,” Edo’s narration claims; also that being born male was “an incurable illness.”

But while the period is cleverly evoked (Grazia Materia’s subtle costuming is a particularly effective signifier), and Luigi Martinucci’s gently antiqued, brooding cinematography initially creates a certain sinister ambience, reminiscent of Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History,” the film’s narrative runs counter to its grander intentions. Not only is there not nearly enough commentary on the church’s role to justify the title (though there is one nicely pointed cut between a finger probing a navel and the administering of a communion wafer), but the kids we get to know best are the ones who were exposed to the exact same forces as the killers — and in some cases far greater tragedies — yet did not end up raping or murdering anyone.

So were the three young men responsible for the crime products of their social, familial and religious backgrounds or were they aberrant monsters acting entirely according to their own twisted natures? Mordini’s film, by oscillating between these two views, attempts to have its cake and torture it too. And somewhere, a bit obscured by all the retrospective soul-searching, all the furtive flirtations and rite-of-passage dramas the young men undergo, there are the two victims (given heartbreaking dimension despite underdeveloped characterization by Federica Torchetti and Benedetta Porcaroli). “The Catholic School” is about a landmark event that stunned a society, changed Italian rape law, and apparently blighted the lives of all who knew the killers, but it’s strangely uninterested in the two people for whom truly, after that summer, nothing would be the same, on account of one of them being dead and the other stuffed into the trunk of a car alongside her friend’s corpse, just very barely alive.

Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (Horizons), Sept. 6, 2021. Running time: 106 MIN. (Original title: "La Scuola Cattolica")

Production: (Italy) A Warner Bros Entertainment Italia, Picomedia production. (World sales: Warner Bros, Rome.) Producers: Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa. Co-producers: Viola Fügen, Michael Weber.
Crew: Director: Stefano Mordini. Screenplay: Massimo Gaudioso, Luca Infascelli, Mordini based on the book "La Scuola Cattolica" by Edoardo Albinati. Camera: Luigi Martinucci. Editors: Massimo Fiocchi, Michelangelo Garrone.
With: Benedetta Porcaroli, Giulio Pranno, Emanuele Maria Di Stefano, Giulio Fochetti, Leonardo Ragazzini, Alessandro Cantalini, Andrea Lintozzi, Guido Quaglione, Federica Torchetti, Luca Vergoni, Francesco Cavallo, Angelica Elli, Gianluca Guidi, Corrado Invernizzi, Beatrice Spata, Giulio Tropea, Fabrizio Gifuni, Fausto Russo Alesi, Valentina Cervi, Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca.

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The Catholic School – Netflix Review (4/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Sep 14, 2022 | 5 minutes

THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL on Netflix is a thriller based on the true crime known as the “Circeo massacre”. A truly brutal case from 1975. As such, this movie is very brutal as it largely follows the real story. Read our The Catholic School movie review here!

THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL is a new Netflix addition from Italy (org. title La scuola cattolica ). It’s based on the true story of the crime known as “The Circeo Massacre” (or “Massacro del Circeo”) that took place in September 1975. This means the final act of the movie is extremely brutal.

Not that we see much physical violence inflicted. We do, however, see the aftermath of each event. And, of course, the psychological horror of these events is undeniable. Make sure you watch the facts listed at the end of the movie. Not that you’ll feel better – quite the opposite – but to make things better, we need to know these facts.

Continue reading our The Catholic School movie review below. The film is out on Netflix from September 14, 2022.

The Catholic School is based on the Circeo Massacre

As already mentioned, The Catholic School is a movie based on a truly brutal case from 1975. However, since this is a fictional take on the case and not a true-crime documentary, the movie attempt to give us more insight. Not to help make the perpetrators understood, but rather to explain everything that went on before the event.

The first two acts show us how all the young men in this rather affluent area in Rome, are consistently conditioned to become “real men”. Some of the professors even state very matter-of-factly that to become a man, you need to do evil and have evil done unto you.

MORE ON THE REAL CASE (WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS SPOILERS FOR THE FILM) Not too much exists in English, but this Reddit write-up is definitely worth checking out >

These teachings are obviously dark and terrible, but also explain the worldview of these young men. Just as it explains that many of these young men look elsewhere for guidance. Among these boys (or young men), you’ll find all the classic types, you would in any High School all across the world.

Also, there is a focus on the fact that only one of the young men actually believes in God. He comes from a family that preaches love and understanding, which conflicts with most of what he is otherwise told. A stark contrast that becomes important to show that religion in itself is not the problem. The way it is taught and abused is!

After those first acts introducing the difference in family and background, we start to follow those that will go on to commit the terrible crimes of kidnappings, rape, torture, and murder. As such, the final act of this movie is very brutal as it largely follows the real story of the Circeo Massacre.

The Catholic School – Review | Netflix Thriller

Amazing – and terrifying – performances

Most of the young actors in The Catholic School on Netflix won’t be familiar. A few of the faces are recognizable, but not for the most part. However, their performances are truly inspiring. And also, absolutely terrifying. Especially those of the three young men responsible for committing the crimes of rape, torture, and murder.

I especially have to mention Luca Vergoni, who is excellent at being truly charming – which explains how the girls were lured into a trap – and then turned into a true monster. Luca Vergoni is definitely someone, I’d expect to see in more movies. And also, Benedetta Porcaroli ( Perfect Strangers ) who plays one of the two female victims.

When it comes to the adults, you’ll see a few more familiar faces. This true crime is one that still sends ripples through the legal system in Italy and continues to try and have changes and amendments made to criminal laws. As mentioned in the pre-end credit text, rape wasn’t even considered a crime against the victim when this true crime took place!

And since The Circeo Massacre is such an important milestone in Italy, we get very big Italian names in small roles. They tend to portray parents of the all the kids, who are part of the core cast. You’ll see Valeria Golino ( Hot Shots! , Portrait of a Lady on Fire ), Valentina Cervi ( True Blood ), and Riccardo Scamarcio ( John Wick 2, Welcome Home ).

Watch The Catholic School on Netflix now!

Stefano Mordini is the director of The Catholic School and he also co-wrote the screenplay. The movie (and, as such, the screenplay) was based on the novel by Edoardo Albinati. The screenplay was written by director Stefano Mordini, Massimo Gaudioso & Luca Infascelli.

Previously, director Stefano Mordini has worked on many documentaries as well as feature films. This is probably close to an ideal resumé when it comes to making fictional films based on true stories.

This is definitely not an easy movie to watch. In fact, that final act will probably be very difficult to watch for many.

For most, due to the psychological horror inflicted on the victims. For others, the explicit nudity (male and female) and direct brutality of it all. I feel that you need to acknowledge evil, to be able to defeat it. For this reason alone, we need to know these stories to fight similar crimes in the future.

The Catholic School (org. title La scuola cattolica ) is on Netflix from September 14, 2022.

Director: Stefano Mordini Screenwriter: Massimo Gaudioso, Luca Infascelli, Stefano Mordini. Novel: Edoardo Albinati Cast: Benedetta Porcaroli, Luca Vergoni, Giulio Pranno, Federica Torchetti, Fabrizio Gifuni, Fausto Russo Alesi, Valentina Cervi, Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca, Corrado Invernizzi, Angelica Elli, Sergio Romano, Marco Sincini, Giulio Tropea, Sofia Iacuitto, Lorenzo Di Iulio

In a residential district of Rome there is a well-known Catholic boy’s school where the offspring of the upper middle-class are educated. The families feel that in that setting their children will be able to grow up sheltered from the turmoil pervading society and that a strict education will fling the doors of a bright future wide for them. On the night between 29 and 30 September of 1975 something broke down and that fortress of irreprehensible values crumbled beneath the weight of one of the most heinous crimes of the period: the Circeo massacre. The culprits are in fact former students at that school. Edoardo, who attended the same school, tries to explain what triggered so much blind violence in those minds carried away by distorted political ideas and an irrepressible craving for dominance.

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Summary In 1975, three students at an all-male Catholic high school in Rome commit a crime that shocks their classmates and community. Based on real events.

Directed By : Stefano Mordini

Written By : Edoardo Albinati, Massimo Gaudioso, Luca Infascelli, Stefano Mordini

The Catholic School

Benedetta Porcaroli

Donatella colasanti, giulio pranno, andrea ghira, emanuele maria di stefano, edoardo albinati, giulio fochetti, alessandro arbus, leonardo ragazzini, salvatore izzo, alessandro cantalini, picchiatello martirolo, andrea lintozzi senneca, gioachino rummo, guido quaglione, stefano jervi, federica torchetti, luca vergoni, angelo izzo, francesco cavallo, gianni guido, angelica elli, corrado invernizzi, gianluca guidi, ludovico arbus.

Fabrizio Gifuni

Fausto russo alesi, davide rummo.

Valentina Cervi

Eleonora rummo.

Valeria Golino

Ilaria arbus.

Riccardo Scamarcio

Raffaele guido.

Jasmine Trinca

Coralla martirolo, critic reviews.

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The Catholic School Reviews

This is so ham-fisted you wish some woman exec in the production had given director Mordini a good bawling out over the lack of sensitivity

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jun 12, 2023

Apart from its confusing structure and the lack of a main character, the movie's worst crime is that it seems designed to let the boys off the hook.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 22, 2022

Unlike the book, the film fails in its inability to tie the relationship between the Catholic school and the violence it engenders. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 16, 2022

... Rolls and sputters and stalls, posturing like a bold statement, but ultimately delivering only muddled implications about why bad people do bad things.

Full Review | Sep 15, 2022

The film is interesting and ambitious but not always focused given how many things it's trying to juggle in its near constant voiceover: religion, parenting, masculinity, faith, character bios, peer pressure, sexuality, etcetera

Full Review | Original Score: C | Nov 2, 2021

A paradoxical conclusion that's not at all convincing in a film that elides social and historical analysis and lays an uncomfortable amount of the responsibility on school and family for a terrible true crime.

Full Review | Oct 15, 2021

Strong performances from the actors playing the students really hold the film together.

Full Review | Sep 21, 2021

Mordini's film... attempts to have its cake and torture it too.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2021

The Catholic School

Where to Watch

Benedetta Porcaroli (Donatella Colasanti) Giulio Pranno (Andrea Ghira) Emanuele Maria Di Stefano (Edoardo Albinati) Giulio Fochetti (Alessandro Arbus) Leonardo Ragazzini (Salvatore Izzo) Alessandro Cantalini (Picchiatello Martirolo) Andrea Lintozzi Senneca (Gioachino Rummo) Guido Quaglione (Stefano Jervi) Federica Torchetti (Rosaria) Luca Vergoni (Angelo Izzo)

Stefano Mordini

In late September 1975, a renowned Catholic school in Rome for sheltered, upper-middle-class boys is attacked in what became known as the Circeo Massacre. The film examines what triggered the violence.

Recommendations

BishopAccountability.org

‘the catholic school’ (‘la scuola cattolica’): film review | venice 2021.

September 20, 2021

By Lovia Gyarkye

In Stefano Mordini’s film, based on Edoardo Albinati’s fact-based novel of the same name, a group of young, privileged men commit a disturbing crime.

The Circeo massacre, as the rape and murder would come to be known, shook Italian society. It was 1975 and the aggressive crime, committed by three young men who attended San Leone Magno, a prestigious all-boys Catholic high school, was a reminder of the misogyny, classism and fascism festering within the nation. Eduardo Albinati chronicled this harrowing tale in his 2016 novel, The Catholic School . Albinati attended the same school as the accused, and his semi-autographical story uses the crime as a lens for examining the institution’s toxic environment and inherent contradictions. In the film version, which premiered at Venice, Italian director Stefano Mordini translates Albinati’s novel into an uneven and at times distressing cinematic experience.

The Catholic School

THE BOTTOM LINE: A chilling story told in a disjointed manner.

1 hour 46 minutes

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-catholic-school-review-venice-2021-1235017222/

Streaming calendar

The Catholic School review: A gruesome and chilling portrayal of the Circeo massacre

The Catholic School is an Italian film based on true-crime events, which follows three boys from a prestigious all-boys Catholic high school in Rome who commit a heinous crime that shocks their classmates and society. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

The Catholic School revolves around the lives of students at an all-boys Catholic high school known for its privileged upper-middle-class boys.

The story explores both the positive and negative aspects of the school in the 1970s. The way the students think and the influence the elite class has over the school’s administration gives us an insight into the lives of the boys from the elite class.

The narrator, Edoardo, paints the Catholic school as a great breeding environment for dysfunctional models of masculinity, with students always seeking to outdo one another with aggressive behaviors and displays of chauvinism.

The school, which is viewed as an excellent environment for their children’s education and development, suddenly crumbles under the weight of the Circeo massacre, one of the most heinous crimes of the time.

Three boys, Angelo, Andrea, and Gianni, from Rome’s privileged elite classes, perpetrate a crime that turns the school and the entire community upside down.

Performances

The cast of The Catholic School delivers great performances, particularly Emanuele Maria Di Stefano as Edoardo Albinati and Benedetta Porcaroli as Donatella, who are powerful in their understated elegance. They both play significant roles in the story, making their characters more believable and adding intrigue to the film.

Luca Vergoni as Angelo Izzo, Giulio Pranno as Andrea Ghira, and Francesco Cavallo as Gianni Guido, all deliver strong performances as the pure evil characters of the perpetrators.

Other actors, such as Guido Quaglione as Stefano Jervi and Andrea Lintozzi Senneca as Gioacchino Rummo, who play the students, help in keeping the film together and add to the cast’s strength.

The Catholic School gives an insightful glimpse into the lives of upper-middle-class boys who attended the school’s isolated environment, as well as the circumstances that motivated them to commit such a horrible act.

Furthermore, it is a stunning narrative about the dark side of human nature and the lengths people can go to when they feel trapped and tormented.

The premise of the film is intriguing, especially for those who appreciate films that dive deeply into the minds of killers.

The entire storyline is split into timelines prior to the massacre, which jumps around and has no clear order, making the underlying chronology of events difficult to follow and distracting from the main subject.

While it’s fascinating to observe how the female characters navigate an oppressive, hyper-masculine culture, it’s unfortunate that Donatella and Rosaria get so little attention, which focuses solely on the mechanics of their torment and misery.

Overall, The Catholic School is a hard-hitting thriller that neither makes a statement nor offers any type of atonement, but instead simply provides an insight into what transpired during the Circeo Massacre in 1975. It’s not for the faint of heart because it’s an intense and unusual viewing experience. It will not entertain you in the typical sense, but it will be a chilling film that you will not soon forget.

The Catholic School

Director: Stefano Mordini

Date Created: 2022-09-14 12:30

Also Read: Sins of Our Mother review: Powerful docuseries keeps you hooked

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The catholic school.

2021 ‘La scuola cattolica’ Directed by Stefano Mordini

Three well-off young men—former students at Rome’s prestigious all-boys Catholic high school San Leone Magno—brutally tortured, raped, and murdered two young women in 1975. The event, which came to be known as the Circeo massacre, shocked and captivated the country, exposing the violence and dark underbelly of the upper middle class at a moment when the traditional structures of family and religion were seen as under threat.

Benedetta Porcaroli Giulio Pranno Emanuele Maria Di Stefano Giulio Fochetti Leonardo Ragazzini Alessandro Cantalini Andrea Lintozzi Guido Quaglione Federica Torchetti Luca Vergoni Francesco Cavallo Angelica Elli Corrado Invernizzi Gianluca Guidi Fabrizio Gifuni Fausto Russo Alesi Valentina Cervi Valeria Golino Riccardo Scamarcio Jasmine Trinca Giulio Tropea Edoardo Carbonara Lorenzo Di Iulio Nicolò Galasso Beatrice Spata Luca Vannuccini Sofia De Angelis David Dimulescu Carlotta Amati Show All… Melissa De Angelis Emanuela Guaiana Elena Arvigo Paolo De Giorgio Marco Sincini Sergio Romano Flavio Bonacci Daniele Orlando Giovanni De Maria Lorenzo Giovanniello Gabriele Labate Alessio Montesi Sofia Iacuitto Laura Cravedi Mariarosaria Mingione Andrea De Satti Margherita Rebeggiani Vincenzo Cannizzaro

Director Director

Stefano Mordini

Producer Producer

Roberto Sessa

Writers Writers

Massimo Gaudioso Luca Infascelli Stefano Mordini

Original Writer Original Writer

Edoardo Albinati

Casting Casting

Francesca Borromeo

Editors Editors

Massimo Fiocchi Michelangelo Garrone

Cinematography Cinematography

Luigi Martinucci

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Gastone Salerno Giulia Emiliani Valentina Vincenzini Adriano Sacco

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Chiara Grassi

Lighting Lighting

Mauro Romor

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Michel-Clement Franco Gianluca Bombardone

Production Design Production Design

Paolo Bonfini

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Sabrina Coppolecchia Paolo Bonfini

Special Effects Special Effects

Paolo Galiano

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Pasquale Di Viccaro

Stunts Stunts

Emiliano Novelli Paolo Antonini

Composer Composer

Andrea Guerra

Sound Sound

Francesco Liotard Cristiano Ciccone Andrea Caretti Thomas Giorgi Marco Ciorba Enrico Roselli

Costume Design Costume Design

Grazia Materia

Makeup Makeup

Dalia Colli Valentina Tomljanovič Roberta Martorina

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Daniela Tartari Ivan Spignese

Picomedia Warner Bros Pictures Italia

Releases by Date

06 sep 2021, 07 oct 2021, 14 sep 2022, 07 apr 2022, releases by country.

Digital 16 Netflix
Digital K18 Netflix
Premiere Venice Film Festival
Theatrical VM18
Digital Netflix
Digital 18 Netflix

107 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Mara ★½ 63

Questo film ha fatto una cosa buona e cioè dire “nascere uomini è una malattia incurabile”

Review by Juliet ½

Porn for rapists.

Appalling and disgusting.

Such an insensitive depiction of a true event. The film is about violence against women, yet they made the focus of the film about the male perpetrators and their stupid fucking woes. There’s no sympathy for the women in this film, it’s purely for shock factor. It focuses more on a man complaining about his middle class life than the rape and murder victims.

One of the worst film I’ve ever watched.

Review by Franci Franci ★½

Aveva tutti i presupposti per essere davvero un filmone: una storia di cronaca importante e conosciuta, attori giovani e capaci, una bella fotografia MA manca il resto. La storia non è incentrata solo sul delitto del Circeo ma sui ragazzi della borghesia romana degli anni 70 è quindi necessario comprendere bene i personaggi, dare allo spettatore una basa sulla quale appoggiarsi per costruire i propri pensieri e non passare da /nulla/ a /rabbia/ a /nulla/ a /racconto di personaggi minori improvvisamente che scompaiono in 5 minuti/ a /tortura/. Vero, sono personaggi italiani conosciuti per ciò che hanno fatto ma ciò non è una scusante per la mediocre narrazione che c’è stata.

Sembrava quasi che dovessimo metterci nei panni dei carnefici…

Review by ella fontaine ½

absolutely awful and disgusting. you’re making a film about horrific violence against women and yet focus it solely on the male perpetrators and their upper class woes. we learned nothing about the brave women who had to suffer through this night, but we’re objected to over an hour of these rich boys complaining about suppressing their desire for sex??? an absolute piece of garbage and an insult to women all over the world

Review by Gigi ½

Review by Emma ★★★ 3

Se fossi stata in grado di distinguere un ragazzo dall'altro sarebbe stato tutto più semplice

Review by pablo ★

not only all men are bastards but also they deserve to go extinct

that said, i don’t know what the fuck was this? why would you make a film about violence against women and put the focus only on the male killers? like obviously you have to tell their story but this is so poorly told that you end up not knowing whatever the fuck was going through their minds to do this and also not knowing shit about the victims who in the first place should have been the main characters in this film

the director could have made a great movie that celebrate the life of the victims as an homage to them and all women victims of sexual violence, but he preferred to use both characters as just plain objects in a story that basically says nothing, we know their names and that’s it… pure bullshit

Review by brynn helena ½ 1

some of the most tone deaf and disgusting filmmaking i've ever seen. it's giving "boys will be boys" and i'm not buying. people wonder why women never feel safe...

Review by Lottie ★ 3

SIGNORE E SIGNORI, LE PROMESSE DEL CINEMA ITALIANO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sono molto arrabbiata. Un film che butta in mezzo un fatto di cronica con leggerezza offensiva. Mal diretto, mal scritto, mal montato, mal recitato . Un’accozzaglia di merda. Non ho sentito niente. Dov’è la rabbia che lo spettatore dovrebbe provare per quei ragazzi? Non c’è. Non può esserci. È imbarazzante.

Io, personalmente, ho pianto. La rabbia c’era, ma per tutt’altro. Ho tanta paura.

Review by elisa ♡ ★½ 2

Elisa TrueCrime l’ha raccontata meglio

Review by Cinzia Galgano ★★½

*Visto alla 78a mostra del cinema di Venezia* Prima di urlare al disastro de "La scuola cattolica" bisogna ricordarsi che è tratto dall'omonimo libro con cui Edoardo Albinati vinse il Premio Strega. La sua opera è sicuramente la lettura più difficile in cui mi sia mai imbattuta. Albinati descrive la sua classe di liceo personaggio per personaggio dilungandosi ampiamente con tantissimi dettagli sulle loro vite ma soprattutto con pensieri riguardanti la morale e il costume di quei tempi. Ricavare una sceneggiatura da quel libro è un lavoro colossale, non si tratta quindi di creare un film basato solamente sul delitto del Circeo. Detto ciò, era impossibile che la prima parte del film potesse filare liscia dato l'opera da cui viene…

Review by greta ½

nessuno che abbia preso mordini da parte, in amicizia, e gli abbia detto “ma nun staremo a fa na cazzata?”

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VENICE 2021 Out of Competition

Review: The Catholic School

by Camillo De Marco

07/09/2021 - VENICE 2021: Stefano Mordini’s film about the origins of a historic episode of violence against women fails to tackle this vital issue with sufficient maturity

“To be born male is an incurable illness”: this is one of the key phrases to feature in the novel by Edoardo Albinati upon which Stefano Mordini has based his homonymous film The Catholic School [ + see also: trailer interview: Stefano Mordini film profile ] , presented out of competition in a world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival . It’s a novel which drills down into the hell that is violence against women, inspired by a true Italian crime known as the Circeo Massacre, which served as a watershed moment between two eras on an issue which is now highly topical. On the night of 29 September 1975, three Roman boys - Angelo Izzo, Gianni Guido and Andrea Ghira - lured two girls who trusted them and who came from the city outskirts to a house by the sea, before torturing and raping them all night long. Then, believing them to be dead, they abandoned them in the boot of a car in Rome. Only one of the girls survived. In the aftermath of this tragedy the law on physical violence changed, with the latter no longer considered a crime against public decency but a crime against one’s person.

Albinati was at school - specifically the San Leone Magno establishment in a residential area of Rome - with the three boys who carried out the massacre. The writer didn’t feel it necessary to write about the crime itself, opting instead to explore day to day life as it was back then, as well as examining the boys’ schoolmates and the teachers at the Catholic school, starting with the childhood of the former and describing their transition from wild teens to ferocious assassins. It’s a reconstruction of evil from its root causes, which is, moreover, the same approach taken by the film’s screenwriters Massimo Gaudioso , Luca Infascelli and director Mordini. By way of the voice-over delivered by protagonist-observer Edoardo ( Emanuele Maria Di Stefano ), the film follows the first generation to have enjoyed total freedom, homing in on those who received a Catholic education from a school whose pillars are “persuade, threaten, punish”, and where Christian values are taught to youngsters for whom violence is the order of the day. To overcome or be overcome, to lie in order to be accepted, to never really be yourself, to take an unhealthy and warped view of sexuality. Outside of school, these Catholic families display hypocrisy (betraying one another, hiding their sexual orientations) as well as disinterest, and are, for the most part, absent, believing themselves protected by certainties and values which are actually crumbling around them.

Punctuated by investigative-cinema-style titles such as “six months earlier” and ”130 hours earlier”, aimed at forging a link between past and present in a relentless toing and froing which risks confusing easily distracted viewers, the film does demonstrates Warner’s noteworthy commitment to production, drawing out an entire generation of young actors – in addition to Di Stefano, there’s Giulio Fochetti, Leonardo Ragazzini, Alessandro Cantalini, Andrea Lintozzi, Guido Quaglione, Federica Torchetti, Luca Vergoni, Francesco Cavallo, Angelica Elli, Beatrice Spat a and Giulio Tropea – and placing them alongside the more famous names of Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giulio Pranno, Fausto Russo Alesi, Fabrizio Gifuni and Valentina Cervi . But the directorial approach taken by Mordini, who is now on his seventh feature, seems to lack the maturity required to tackle such a crucial matter. Instead, he conforms to TV tastes and only examines the surplus of characters involved in the affair at surface level. The movie fails to establish a sufficiently solid and convincing link between the Catholic school of the film’s title and the boys’ urge to violently overpower their victims, and it also glosses over the fascist circles frequented by the perpetrators of the massacre. In short, it fails to paint the picture which the film’s historic setting required and deserved.

It’s not that the movie should betray the novel, which is composed of 1,200 pages of reflections and a thousand different narrative streams, but it could have derived an equally powerful film interpretation which might have helped younger, cinema-going generations to fight against sexist stereotypes and moralism; a task which the long, savage and heavy-handed final minutes of the film dedicated to the Circeo tragedy fail to accomplish.

The Catholic School is a Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia and Picomedia production. Distribution in Italy (7 October) is in the hands of Warner Bros. Pictures .

(Translated from Italian)

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Home » Endings Explained

The Catholic School ending explained – what happened to the three killers?

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This article discusses the ending of the Netflix film The Catholic School and will contain spoilers.

Directed by Stefano Mordini, The Catholic School recalls the events that led to The Circeo Massacre, an infamous Italian crime from 1975. The film relies a lot on narration and portrays the complicated life of teens attending a high-class private Catholic school in Rome.

Netflix film The Catholic School ending explained

Heavily reliant on Edoardo’s narration, the film introduces several school attendees and gives us a snapshot of their day-to-day lives, before introducing the two young women who ultimately become victims to three sadistic young men. In the final act, we see Angelo and Guido meeting up with Donatella and Rosaria as they had discussed going to the movies. The two girls are a bit put off to learn that the boy who initially gave Donatella a lift home, Gian Petro, wasn’t there. However, the two would-be killers lure them to Angelo’s villa in Circeo by promising them Gian would be there. The girls agree and in the beginning, they all seem to be having a great time at the villa.

Things take a turn for the worse when Angelo pulls out a gun and proceeds to lock Donatella and Rosario in a bathroom. I’m unsure why that bathroom only locks from the outside, maybe that’s a 70s thing? As soon as the girls are locked away, Guido goes home for a bit to avoid another beating from his dad. In Guido’s absence, Angelo rapes both young women. Guido eventually returns and joins in on the torture of these two young women. Thankfully, none of the rapes are explicitly shown, but what they do show is disturbing enough.

The two men proceed to assault and beat both Donatella and Rosario up until the third perpetrator, Andrea, shows up. He initially acts benevolently towards the two victims but is soon revealed to be even more of a sadist than both Angelo and Guido put together.

Rosario succumbs to her wounds off-screen, while Donatella is seen to still be alive when the men wrap her up in plastic and blankets before placing both girls in the back of Guido’s car. Andrea stays behind to clean up the villa, while Guido and Angelo drive away. The two park up in the car near Guido’s home and discuss disposing of the bodies at a later time.

Donatella’s cries for help get the attention of a passing police officer, who calls for backup and rescues her. Angelo is arrested shortly after.

We then hear more of Edoardo’s narration explaining how the crime forever changed his upper-middle-class neighborhood. In the aftermath of the crime, we learn that all three perpetrators received life sentences. However, Andrea managed to escape from prison and died in Morroco in 1994, Angelo was released in 2005 and committed two more similar crimes, while Guido has been a free man since 2009. It leaves us wondering whether Donatella got any real justice or if she managed to find peace during her short life. She was only 47 when she passed away.

What did you think of the ending of the Netflix film The Catholic School? Comment below.

You can watch this film with a subscription to Netflix.

Article by Lori Meek

Lori Meek has been a Ready Steady Cut contributing writer since September 2022 and has had over 400 published articles since. She studied Film and Television at Southampton Solent University, where she gained most of her knowledge and passion for the entertainment industry. Lori’s work is also featured on platforms such as TBreak Media and ShowFaves.

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Stefano Mordini

Director, Screenplay, Story

Massimo Gaudioso

Screenplay, Story

Luca Infascelli

Edoardo Albinati

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Benedetta Porcaroli

Donatella Colasanti

Giulio Pranno

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Emanuele Maria Di Stefano

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Salvatore Izzo

Alessandro Cantalini

Picchiatello Martirolo

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Gioacchino Rummo

Guido Quaglione

Stefano Jervi

Federica Torchetti

Rosaria Lopez

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Original Title La scuola cattolica

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The Catholic School (2022): Review and Ending Explained

The catholic school (2022): review.

If delving into the criminal mind is what characterizes true crime stories, ‘The Catholic School’ can hardly claim to be one. In fact, it’s difficult to decipher what exactly the film is when looking at the events prior to the actual crime’s reenactment. Stefano Mordini’s adaptation of Edoardo Albinati’s novel of the same name had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year and is now available for the public to watch on Netflix. It revolves around the lives of the perpetrators of a crime that shook Italy in 1975, known today as the Circeo massacre, and their peers.

‘The Catholic School’ is visually quite familiar. Set in the ’70s, it goes for the drab color palette with a heavy focus on shades of browns and a generally de-saturated look that has become characteristic of the period’s representation. It’s also an appropriate choice given the subject matter, thereby evading any stylistic flourishes. The theme, composed by Andrea Guerra, is one of the film’s strongest elements, a lush and terrifying piece that works because of a peculiarly discordant quality to its harmony. It heightens the suspense and has grating interjections that make it sound like something straight out of a slasher. Hence, the look and sound of the film ensure a period re-creation that is realistic and unsettling at the same time. The performances too are generally good, with two that especially stand out being Luca Vergoni’s maniacal turn as Angelo Izzo and Riccardo Scamarcio’s short but memorable role as Guido’s ruthless father, Raffaele.

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That’s pretty much all that is positive in ‘The Catholic School’ as the film is incredibly disjointed. Prolonged looks at religion and social factors prove to be dead ends as the film relies too heavily on words and not actually depicting what is being talked about. The supposed stagnation of society at the time, a general sense of prevailing nihilism, and how incompetent the eponymous school and other such institutions of the period were, are only spoken about. What we see of them makes them come across as little more than humdrum places existing in a seemingly mundane world, with nothing shocking or dangerous about them. Edoardo’s friends are of no importance to the plot and yet keep showing up at regular intervals. Giacchino, a character with a definite moral compass, undergoes a family tragedy after which his entire subplot is abandoned while Argus’s family life is supposed to depict societal repression of the time, which it does a poor job with.

We are made to follow everything that led to the Circeo massacre through the eyes of Edoardo, a fly-on-the-wall narrator. His narration, other than describing the film’s world, ruminates on Italian bourgeois society of the time. A number of philosophical observations, that are never pursued and generally have no connection with the action of the film, form a bulk of it. The problem, other than how pretentious it mostly sounds is that by the time we arrive at the film’s climax, it seems that all of what Edoardo said throughout the film had a thematic thread that was meant to help us decipher what caused the horrifying rape and torture of Donatella and Rosaria. Not every filmmaker can go for a Haneke-Esque exploration of evil but here, a certain resignation to abstraction would’ve been far more effective. Instead, there’s a deliberate effort at trying to trace sociological reasons behind the crime and never anything psychological. Interestingly, one of the characters in the film became a psychiatrist later in life but the only observation we get from him deals with characters other than the perpetrators.

The film also withholds a lot of important information. Angelo Izzo and Andrea Ghira’s violent criminal past is entirely overlooked, the latter not even showing up till the film’s final act. Originally, both Donatella and Rosaria refused to have sex with the men, which incited violence. In the film, it’s such a sudden occurrence that at first, it’s hard to not think that Guido is joking with the girls. For all the digressions the plot is so readily willing to take, especially with regard to unimportant characters, these inconsistencies feel especially grave on the makers’ part.

‘The Catholic School’ is an adaptation of a novel, a tome, that too. Creative liberties are obvious and even necessary in such a case. Yet when it becomes a film, where the atrocities are being re-created and then put on screen for the world to watch, it becomes a fundamental responsibility on the part of the makers to transgress from the novel’s imagination in favor of a more honest portrayal of the truth. It isn’t a bad film but one that certainly feels misguided and which raises a question about what was Mordini’s intention, as well as of everyone else involved in its making – to adapt Albinati’s novel into a film or to sincerely depict this monstrous tragedy? If the intent was to do both, a certain mutual exclusivity in such an attempt surfaces that Mordini couldn’t surmount. What remains most affecting in ‘The Catholic School’ are the title cards at the end, highlighting the absurdly long period of time it took for the Italian government to even marginally alleviate the trauma of what had happened at Circeo.

The Catholic School (2022) Ending Explained

Raped and tortured to no end, Donatella and Rosaria are eventually numbed to the atrocities they’re being subjected to. It stops after Rosaria dies and Donatella plays dead in the hope of escaping getting violated further. When the boys realize that they’re both dead, they put the two bodies in the trunk of Guido’s father’s car. Andrea stays back to clean up the mess while Guido and Angelo go back to the city where they are to get rid of the bodies and then hang out with their friends. Once in Rome, Guido decides to head back home for a while as he had been doing throughout their enterprise, so as to not incur his father’s wrath.

Angelo is left with the car keys while Guido promises to join him around 3 at night. Angelo starts roaming around the neighborhood. When she is about to attempt an escape, Donatella finds out that Rosaria is dead and starts to bang the trunk, desperately hoping to be saved. A patrolling policeman hears this and calls reinforcements. When police officers arrive at Guido’s place, his father tells them that his son is sleeping in his room, only to discover that he has sneaked out. Donatella is saved, having incurred multiple serious injuries but even worse psychological damage. Title cards inform us of what happened with those involved, in the aftermath of the Circeo massacre, as well as how long it took for the Italian government to recognize rape as an offense against the individual and not public morality.

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Is Netflix’s The Catholic School Based on a True Story?

Directed by Stefano Mordini, Netflix’s crime drama movie ‘The Catholic School’ revolves around the male students of a renowned Catholic school in Rome, exploring their lives and how multiple students of the institution stoop into brutal acts of violence. Originally titled ‘La Scuola Cattolica,’ the Italian film primarily follows Angelo Izzo and Gianni Guido, whose actions are explored through the POV of their classmate, Edoardo Albinati.

Along with a relatable and realistic depiction of school years, the coming-of-age film tries to unravel the triggers behind the crimes Angelo and Gianni commit upon teaming up with another boy. Naturally, viewers must be intrigued about whether their lives and actions have real-life roots. Let us provide the answers!

Is The Catholic School a True Story?

Yes, ‘The Catholic School’ is based on a true story. The movie is an adaptation of the eponymous semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel written by Edoardo Albinati, the real-life counterpart of the eponymous character. It revolves around the “Circeo Massacre,” committed by Angelo Izzo, Giovanni “Gianni” Guido, and Andrea Ghira. Angelo and Gianni studied with Edoardo at the time of the massacre. In September 1975, the duo first met Donatella Colasanti and Rosaria Lopez through a friend and planned to meet again.

On September 29, 1975, Angelo and Gianni led Donatella and Rosaria to a villa owned by Andrea Ghira’s family, located in San Felice Circeo, in the Lazio region of Italy. As per reports, both men then started to make sexual advances toward the two girls. Gianni threatened them with a gun when they didn’t comply and locked them up in a bathroom.

Angelo and Gianni were later joined by Andrea Ghira, who introduced himself to Donatella and Rosaria as Jacques Berenguer, the leader of the Marsigliesi clan. The three raped and tortured Donatella and Rosaria for 35 hours and reportedly drugged the two girls.

After cruelly raping Rosaria, Angelo, Gianni, and Andrea allegedly killed her by beating and drowning her in a bathtub. Furthermore, they reportedly tried to kill Donatella by strangling her, only for her to pretend that she was dead. The three friends then covered Rosaria’s dead body and Donatella with plastic and put them in the trunk of a Fiat 127 car, driving it to Rome. When the murderers were away from the vehicle, Donatella made sounds, earning the attention of a night watchman.

Soon, the Carabinieri officials arrived at the scene, and Gianni and Angelo were arrested in no time. However, Andrea ran away before the officials could apprehend him. In July 1976, the trio was sentenced to life imprisonment. Andrea was still on the run at the time of the sentence; he lived in Spain under a false identity and died in 1994 due to an overdose. Angelo was released in 2005 on parole for good conduct, only to kill two women during the parole period. In 2007, he was sentenced again to life imprisonment.

Lastly, Gianni became a free man in 2009 due to a reduced sentence, much to the dismay of Rosaria’s family. Meanwhile, on December 30, 2005, Donatella died from breast cancer at age 47. Even though Edoardo Albinati’s source material is based on a true story, creative liberties were taken by the author, which must have got reflected in the film as well.

“The Catholic School is based on events that actually happened, events to which, in part, I was a direct eyewitness. Working from those actual events, I’ve intertwined episodes and characters with varying percentages of fiction: some are concocted out of whole cloth, others owe a considerable debt to things that actually took place, to people who exist or once did,” the author wrote in the source text.

As far as director Stefano Mordini was concerned, ‘The Catholic School’ isn’t a film that solely addresses the lives and crimes of Angelo, Gianni, and Andrea. He had even omitted the fascist connections of the three murderers. In an interview in September 2021, the director revealed that he eliminated the fascist references to strictly address the patriarchal notion of using and seeing women as “objects.” Nevertheless, his depiction of the actual “Circeo massacre” is startling and heartwrenching.

Read More: Where Was Netflix’s The Catholic School Filmed?

St. Mary’s will join historic Baltimore Catholic League for basketball as associate member

Baltimore Catholic League Commissioner Jack Degele calls it the “perfect fit.”

The BCL, which hosts the longest-running postseason basketball tournament in Maryland, announced April 18 that St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis would join the league for the 2024-25 season as an associate member.

The Saints, five-time champions of the Maryland Independent Athletic Association B Conference (2003, 2007, 2009, 2022, 2023), will participate in the 2025 Baltimore Catholic League tournament as the No. 8 seed.

“We are excited about the addition,” Degele said. “It really makes things a lot easier when we have a full eight teams for the tournament, and we think St. Mary’s expands our regional footprint.

“St. Mary’s brings a tradition of Catholic school excellence in the classrooms and on the basketball court,” he said. “We are impressed with the school’s growth and success in recent years, and behind the strong commitment of the school administration and athletic department, the basketball program under Trey Quinn has made great strides forward.”

Degele noted that St. Mary’s has already moved up to the A Conference for football and said the school plans to apply to move up to the A Conference in basketball when the league starts its next two-year realignment cycle after this season.

“We like the school’s approach to athletics, and think they will be a natural geographical rival for Archbishop Spalding,” he said.

The BCL said in a media release that it is the ninth time it has invited a school outside of the league to participate in the BCL Tournament. St. Mary’s joins John Carroll (1974), Archbishop Spalding (1977, 1978, 1997), St. Maria Goretti (1983, 1984), Archbishop Curley (1994) and Mount Carmel (2011) as programs to join as associates. John Carroll, Archbishop Spalding, St. Maria Goretti and Mount Carmel eventually all became full BCL members, while Archbishop Curley was a former league member that played in the tournament the year after withdrawing from the BCL.

“Accepting the invitation from the Baltimore Catholic League to become an associate member of the league is a tremendous positive step for St. Mary’s, as an institution and as an athletic program,” said St. Mary’s school president Andrew Moore in a statement released by the BCL. “As a school that is on the rise in so many ways, being associated with the premier high school basketball conference in the nation comes at the perfect time for us here in Annapolis.”

For the 2024-25 regular season, St. Mary’s will continue to compete in the MIAA B Conference. Seven schools (Archbishop Spalding, Calvert Hall, John Carroll, Loyola Blakefield, Mount Carmel, Mount St. Joseph and St. Frances) will comprise the BCL for its 54th season of play in 2024-25, as the league will play its traditional double round-robin schedule. The BCL was reduced to seven full members with the upcoming closure of St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown after 70 years of operation and 40 seasons in the BCL.

The Saints bring a strong basketball resume to the league. St. Mary’s graduate Trey Quinn has coached the Saints to a 98-82 overall record in the past seven seasons, including a 51-1 mark in MIAA B Conference games.

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Top 5 Must-Watch Movies on Netflix This Holy Week 2024

A s Holy Week approaches, Netflix offers a selection of thought-provoking and spiritually enriching films that resonate with themes of faith, redemption, and self-discovery. Whether you seek inspiration or reflection during this sacred time, these movies provide a meaningful viewing experience for audiences of all backgrounds.

The Two Popes (2019)

Delve into a pivotal moment in the Catholic Church as Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis forge an unexpected friendship. Inspired by true events, this captivating drama, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, explores themes of faith, forgiveness, and the power of dialogue.

Stories of a Generation – with Pope Francis (2021)

Experience candid and heartwarming stories from inspiring individuals over 70, as they share poignant life lessons and pivotal choices from their remarkable journeys. With Pope Francis at the helm, this documentary series offers profound insights into the human spirit and the enduring power of faith.

Heaven Is for Real (2014)

Follow the extraordinary journey of a pastor’s 4-year-old son who, during surgery, experiences a vivid visit to heaven. Upon awakening, he recounts his awe-inspiring encounter, sparking a profound exploration of faith, hope, and the afterlife. Starring Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly, this heartfelt drama is sure to touch your soul.

The Shack (2017)

Join a grief-stricken father on a transformative quest for healing and understanding after receiving a mysterious invitation to a secluded shack. Through encounters with unexpected guides, he embarks on a spiritual journey that challenges his beliefs and offers profound revelations. Featuring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer, this faith-based drama delves into themes of forgiveness, love, and the nature of God.

Mysteries of the Faith (2023)

Explore the intriguing history and significance of sacred relics believed to hold miraculous powers in the Catholic tradition. From ancient artifacts to revered relics, this documentary series delves into the mysteries behind these sacred treasures, offering insights into their spiritual significance and cultural resonance.

This Holy Week, immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of faith-based storytelling with these must-watch movies on Netflix. From profound dramas to enlightening documentaries, each film offers a unique perspective on the enduring themes of faith, redemption, and the human experience. Whether you seek solace, inspiration, or introspection, these cinematic gems provide a meaningful opportunity for reflection and spiritual nourishment during this sacred time.

The post Top 5 Must-Watch Movies on Netflix This Holy Week 2024 appeared first on New York Tech Media .

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Movie Review: A lyrical portrait of childhood in Cabrini-Green with ‘We Grown Now’

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Blake Cameron James in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Danielle Scruggs/Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Blake Cameron James in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Danielle Scruggs/Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows S. Epatha Merkerson in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Glen Wilson/Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Lil Rel Howery in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Danielle Scruggs/Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Jurnee Smollett in a scene from the film “We Grown Now.” (Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

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Two 11-year-old boys navigate school, friendship, family and change in Minhal Baig’s lyrical drama “We Grown Now.” It’s an evocative memory piece, wistful and honest, and a different kind of portrait of a very infamous place: Chicago’s Cabrini-Green public housing development.

And, pointedly, it’s a film that might not have existed without Participant, the activist film and television studio that just this month announced it was shutting down operations .

Baig sets her film in the fall of 1992, a moment in which the promise of the 1940s urban renewal project had curdled beyond repair. It was there, on Oct. 13 of that year, that 7-year-old Dantrell Davis was killed by a sniper while walking to elementary school with his mother. A few days later, the horror film “Candyman” opened across the country with its Black boogeyman and white heroine, inspiring pointed critiques for its regressive racial stereotypes.

No longer the place of “Good Times,” Cabrini-Green had become a metonym for the failures of the system. A few years later, authorities would begin demolishing buildings there, the last of which came down in 2011. It’s now home to luxury apartments.

But childhood is childhood for Malik (Blake Cameron Jones) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez). And the biggest thing on their mind at the beginning is transporting a found mattress down the stairs of the high rise, through the streets and sidewalks to their playground area where it will provide the perfect landing cushion for their favorite activity: Jumping.

Malik lives with his sister, mother Dolores (Jurnee Smollett, in a lovely performance) and grandmother (S. Epatha Merkerson). The adults are stable, calm and positive influences on the lives of the kids, keeping them safe in their little enclave. Still, realities of their small world inside Cabrini-Green do occasionally creep in (or, rather, sometimes burst in at 2 a.m., when authorities decide to raid and trash their apartment looking for drugs that aren’t there). Dolores tries to protest and stick up for their rights but is painfully aware of her powerlessness over the ever-escalating hostilities towards them.

The death of a classmate sends everyone into a spiral. Voices from the outside suddenly emerge, from Chicago’s mayor Richard M. Daley and others vowing to clean up Cabrini-Green. There is a pointed disconnect with what Malik and Eric’s day-to-day is actually like, playing, jumping, teasing little sisters and sometimes escaping the dull nature documentary at their school to have a real adventure. Some of these moments land, especially the banter between the boys, but some are a little clunkier. These are the ones that lean more into whimsical ideas of play and inspiration (like when they decide to visit the Art Institute on their own and have a Ferris Bueller moment with the Seurat painting) than an authentic portrait of childhood. But also, why not show the kids being self-motivated to talk about art?

And it’s one of their last adventures before reality comes back to fracture their bond, when Malik’s mother makes the decision to leave Cabrini-Green for a job opportunity in Peoria. Their goodbyes may just have you reaching for a tissue — a testament to the two young actors.

Baig is a product of Chicago, though not Cabrini-Green. There are perhaps questions about who should tell whose story, but she has come to it with a palpable empathy and interest, which is all you can ask for, really. Why would we want to make rules about filmmakers stepping outside the narrow confines of their personal experience to tell different stories?

That care shines through in every frame (evocatively shot by Pat Scola), for the kids growing up in these circumstances, for the adults trying to shelter them, and for the magic they’re able to find despite everything. It is a delicate look at what life might have felt like beyond the fear-mongering headlines, with an elegant score from Jay Wadley. “We Grown Now” is slightly dreamy and stylized, too, but instead of a liability, it makes this very small story feel grand, poetic and cinematic — just like it would for an 11-year-old.

“We Grown Now,” a Sony Pictures Classics release in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago on Friday and expanding April 26, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for “thematic material and language.” Running time 93 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, a... Read all In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

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theemilydunn
Feb 1, 2024
July 26, 2024 (United States)
United States
Focus Features
Antigravity Academy
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Maiden Voyage
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Runtime 1 hour 31 minutes

movie review the catholic school

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The Ice Storm

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‘The Catholic School’ Review: A Dubiously Handsome Re-creation of a Hideous True Crime

Jessica Kiang

Popular on Variety

Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (Horizons), Sept. 6, 2021. Running time: 106 MIN. (Original title: "La Scuola Cattolica")

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The Catholic School – Netflix Review (4/5)

THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL on Netflix is a thriller based on the true crime known as the “Circeo massacre”. A truly brutal case from 1975. As such, this movie is very brutal as it largely follows the real story. Read our The Catholic School movie review here!

The Catholic School is based on the Circeo Massacre

Amazing – and terrifying – performances

Watch The Catholic School on Netflix now!

About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

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