The must-see films and series at Venice 82 From Guadagnino to Lanthimos to Bellocchio and Jarmusch

Yorgos Lanthimos, Paolo Sorrentino, Kathryn Bigelow, Luca Guadagnino, Jim Jarmusch. And also The Rock, Oscar Isaac, Cate Blanchett, and Amanda Seyfried. Countless stars will walk the red carpet at the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival. From classical literature creatures with Guillermo Del Toro to series exploring true crime cases like Portobello and Il Mostro, and productions by Saint Laurent Productions. A very rich program, for which we’ve mapped out the best way to navigate through the festival titles, between films in competition, out of competition, and in the Orizzonti section.

Here, then, are the must-see films and series of the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival.

The Grace by Paolo Sorrentino

After Parthenope, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Paolo Sorrentino returns to Venice with The Grace, where he was last seen in 2021 with The Hand of God. This time, the film is not only part of the festival's official competition but also its official opening. Interestingly, the plot is still shrouded in mystery. The lead is Sorrentino's trusted actor Toni Servillo. 

Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos

After winning in 2023 with Poor Things!, Yorgos Lanthimos returns to Venice with Bugonia, once again joined by his muse, actress Emma Stone. The black comedy is a remake of the South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan, and tells the story of a CEO kidnapped by two men obsessed with conspiracy theories. 

No Other Choice by Park Chan-Wook

After Decision to Leave, master filmmaker Park Chan-Wook returns with the story of You Man-su, played by Lee Byung Hun, star of Squid Game. In No Other Choice, the protagonist has been working in paper production for 25 years and is content with his life—until, suddenly, he’s fired without warning. 

Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch

Jim Jarmusch returns to cinema with a triptych focused on family relationships. Father Mother Sister Brother comprises three stories, each set in a different country, exploring emotions ranging from togetherness to melancholy, always with a comedic touch. The cast includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, and Vicky Krieps. The film is produced by Saint Laurent Productions. 

The Smashing Machine by Benny Safdie

For the first time, Benny Safdie directs without his brother Josh, telling a true story. The Smashing Machine is a biopic about Mark Kerr, legendary wrestling, MMA, and Vale Tudo champion, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This is a unique role for the actor, alongside Emily Blunt—his co-star from Jungle Cruise—who plays his wife, Dawn. The film offers a portrait of an athlete facing both public and private challenges and vulnerabilities.

Frankenstein by Guillermo Del Toro

Among the most anticipated titles of Venice 82 and competing in the official section is undoubtedly Frankenstein by Guillermo Del Toro—a project that perfectly suits the director’s style and is one of his longtime dreams. The Netflix production stars Oscar Isaac as the doctor and Jacob Elordi as the Creature. 

A House of Dynamite by Kathryn Bigelow

Another Netflix entry in the official competition is A House of Dynamite by Kathryn Bigelow, marking her return eight years after Detroit (2017). The plot centers around a missile heading toward the United States and the search for the person responsible. The star-studded cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Basso, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke, Jared Harris, and Anthony Ramos. 

The Testament of Ann Lee by Mona Fastvold

Bringing the musical to the Festival this year is Mona Fastvold, who last year was present with the screenplay for The Brutalist by Brady Corbet, the director’s husband and also the screenwriter of their latest film The Testament of Ann Lee. The work tells the story of Ann Lee, an English preacher who founded the Shaker religious movement in the 18th century in the United States. She is played by Amanda Seyfried, joined in the cast by Lewis Pullman from Thunderbolts*, Christopher Abbott, and Thomasin McKenzie. 

Duse by Pietro Marcello

After starring in a documentary retracing her story in 2024 directed by Sonia Bergamasco, the competition at Venice82 welcomes the film portraying the legendary career of Eleonora Duse, played by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Duse is Pietro Marcello’s film about the early 20th-century actress's need to express herself through the stage, the only space for truth and resistance throughout her life. 

After the Hunt by Luca Guadagnino 

Apparently, by the will of Luca Guadagnino and the production, After the Hunt will not be in the official section of Venice, but rather out of competition. No matter, what’s important is that one of the most internationally admired filmmakers presents his latest work in the setting of one of the world's most important festivals, bringing to the Lido his star-studded cast featuring Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts, and Andrew Garfield. The story, written by Nora Garrett, is set in the academic world, where the character played by Roberts must deal with a student and a very serious accusation made against one of her colleagues.

The Valley of Smiles by Paolo Strippoli 

Michele Riondino, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Giulio Feltri, and Paolo Pierobon star in The Valley of Smiles, a work by director Paolo Strippoli who returns to explore the paths of horror and the enigmatic with a film presented out of competition in Venice, and one of the two special titles of the midnight screenings. The story centers on a village that seems like many others but hides a mysterious secret beneath. 

Jay Kelly by Noah Baumbach

After opening the Venice Film Festival in 2022 with his White Noise, Noah Baumbach returns to the Lido in competition with a work written together with his wife Greta Gerwig and featuring an endless star-studded cast: from George Clooney to Adam Sandler, from Laura Dern to Billy Crudup. The film focuses on two middle-aged friends in crisis who rediscover their youth over a weekend. 

In the Hand of Dante by Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel has been working for years on In the Hand of Dante and, finally, the film will see the light. It will premiere out of competition at Venice82, taking audiences on a journey between thriller and crime in a metaphorical hell based on the novel of the same name by Nick Tosches and produced by Martin Scorsese, in which the protagonist becomes entangled in a shady affair surrounding the original manuscript of the Divine Comedy. The cast includes Oscar Isaac, Gerard Butler, and Jason Momoa. 

Chien 51 by Cédric Jimenez

Science fiction arrives at Venice82 by way of France. Cédric Jimenez directs Chien 51, set in a near future where Paris is divided into three zones that separate the various social classes, all controlled by an artificial intelligence named Alma. Everything seems to work—until the AI’s inventor is murdered. Salia and Zem, two police officers from completely different worlds, are tasked with solving the crime. The cast includes Gilles Lellouche, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Louis Garrel, Romain Duris, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.

The Wizard of the Kremlin by Olivier Assayas

Paul Dano stars in the new film by Olivier Assayas, with an exceptional screenwriter: the writer Emmanuel Carrère. The work is The Wizard of the Kremlin, with the USSR collapsed and a country in crisis trying to rebuild itself. Amid this chaos, Vadim Baranov, a brilliant young man, is about to find his own path—one that intersects with Vladimir Putin, of whom he becomes an unofficial advisor. A film that explores the dark corridors of power, loosely inspired by the novel by Giuliano da Empoli. 

Portobello by Marco Bellocchio 

Once again this year, TV series are not missing from the Venice Film Festival. Among those presenting them is Marco Bellocchio who, after Exterior Night, returns to episodic storytelling with Portobello, the first Italian series from HBO Max, centered on the Tortora case. The cast features Fabrizio Gifuni, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Alessandro Preziosi, and Barbora Bobulova. Also being presented is the series The Monster by Stefano Sollima. 

The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania

Kaouther Ben Hania, whose latest documentary Four Daughters stirred critics and audiences alike, arrives at Venice82 with a true story sure to touch hearts and consciences. Her The Voice of Hind Rajab portrays the killing of the Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza on January 29, 2024. 

The Kidnapping of Arabella by Carolina Cavalli

After winning hearts with her quirky and lively debut Amanda, Carolina Cavalli once again teams up with Benedetta Porcaroli and directs The Kidnapping of Arabella in the Horizons section of the festival. The protagonist is Holly, a babysitter who feels out of place, until she meets Arabella, a seven-year-old girl who changes her perspective. The cast also includes Chris Pine.