Shudder, the ultimate streaming destination for visionary genre cinema, has officially snagged the rights (for North America, the UK, and Ireland) to Paolo Strippoli’s menacing new film, The Holy Boy.
The movie is getting serious festival buzz. It celebrated its world premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival before landing at Fantastic Fest. It has already earned massive acclaim, including both the Next Wave Best Director Award and the highly coveted Audience Award!
The film introduces us to Sergio (Michele Riondino), a teacher tormented by his past, who relocates to Remis. He travels to a secluded village that bizarrely holds the title of “the happiest town in Italy.” But behind the town’s forced cheerfulness, Sergio quickly uncovers an alarming secret.
The villagers gather every week for a chilling ritual centered on Matteo (Giulio Feltri), a fifteen-year-old introverted boy. The entire town believes Matteo’s embrace can magically free a person from all pain and sorrow. As Sergio realizes that the community’s devotion to the boy is far from benevolent, his desperate attempt to rescue the “Angel of Remis” ignites the town’s true, terrifyingly vengeful nature.
Director Paolo Strippoli, an Italian filmmaker known for the Netflix original A Classic Horror Story, explained that the film explores “our relationship with pain—the shortcuts we take to avoid it, and the way in which pain itself makes us fully human.”
Shudder’s team was instantly sold on the high-concept terror. Senior Vice President Samuel Zimmerman commented, “We were blown away by THE HOLY BOY. Paolo Strippoli crafts an eerie and provocative horror film, one that builds to an astonishing finish. We knew instantly this belonged with Shudder.”
The movie stars Michele Riondino alongside standout first-time actor Giulio Feltri. The film is set to debut on Shudder in 2026.
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- Photo Credit: Shudder
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- Photo Credit: Shudder
