The Holy Boy
La valle dei sorrisi
Synopsis
A PE teacher moves to a isolated mountain village where the people appear to live in unshakeable serenity, but soon stumbles across a disturbing ritual. Once a week, the locals are freed of their pain by a lonely boy born with the power to heal one's soul just by hugging them. Trying to rescue him from this madness, the man unleashes his dark side.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Holy Boy | Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-07-21
Top Cast
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Michele Riondino
Sergio Rossetti
Giulio Feltri
Matteo Corbin
Paolo Pierobon
Mauro Corbin
Romana Maggiora Vergano
Michela
Roberto Citran
Don Attilio
Sergio Romano
Pichler
Anna Bellato
Anna
Sandra Toffolatti
Elisabetta Gengo
Gabriele Benedetti
Franco
Diego Nardini
Lorenzo Berni
Alex Radetic
Coso
Tatiana Lepore
Signora Berni
Andrea Di Maria
Padre
Valentina Elia
Madre
Ferruccio Macor
Simone
Vincenzo Tosetto
Vittorio
Riccardo Michelutti
Giacomo
Emma Dugo
Nichi
Release History & Theatrical Window
Slash Filmfestival
Festival / Special Debut
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$378K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.09x
-$3.6M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Paolo Strippoli
- Screenplay & Story
- Paolo Strippoli, Jacopo del Giudice, Milo Tissone
- Original Score
- Federico Bisozzi, Davide Tomat
- Original Title
- La valle dei sorrisi
- Country of Origin
- Italy, Slovenia
- Spoken Languages
- Italian
- Runtime
- 2h 2m
- Production Budget
- $4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $378K
- Production Studios
- Nightswim, Fandango, Vision Distribution, MiC, Lazio Cinema International, Fondo Audiovisivo FVG, SPOK Films, Sky
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Paolo Strippoli
Paolo Strippoli, Jacopo del Giudice, Milo Tissone
Federico Bisozzi, Davide Tomat
Cristiano Di Nicola
Federico Palmerini
Stefano Sardo, Ines Vasiljević, Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci, Ivan Fiorini
Department Leadership Roster
Paolo Strippoli
Director
Paolo Strippoli
Writer
Stefano Sardo
Producer
Jacopo del Giudice
Writer
Ines Vasiljević
Producer
Milo Tissone
Writer
Domenico Procacci
Producer
Cristiano Di Nicola
Director of Photography
Marcello Di Carlo
Production Design
Federico Palmerini
Editor
Laura Paolucci
Producer
Susanna Mastroianni
Costume Design
Federico Bisozzi
Original Music Composer
Davide Tomat
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Holy Boy.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Holy Boy.
Itesca Not Interested
Limelight Not Seen
Italian Horror
Italian horror cinema: giallo, gothic, zombie, cannibal and beyond.
Italian Giallo
Italian giallo cinema, enumerated from Wikidata + Wikipedia, verified against TMDb. 201 films.
Fantastic Fest
Shudder Originals
Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction titles, owned and operated by AMC Networks.[1] The streaming service offers original films, TV series—such as Creepshow, based on the 1982 film same of the name—and documentary series. Shudder's library also features non-original programming, including well-known horror films, and annually airs a Halloween "Ghoul Log" (a Halloween-themed equivalent to the Yule Log).
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Holy Boy
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Holy Boy about?
A PE teacher moves to a isolated mountain village where the people appear to live in unshakeable serenity, but soon stumbles across a disturbing ritual. Once a week, the locals are freed of their pain by a lonely boy born with the power to heal one's soul just by hugging them. Trying to rescue him from this madness, the man unleashes his dark side.
Who directed The Holy Boy?
The Holy Boy was directed by Paolo Strippoli.
Who stars in The Holy Boy?
The principal cast of The Holy Boy includes Michele Riondino, Giulio Feltri, Paolo Pierobon, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Roberto Citran.
When was The Holy Boy released and how long is it?
The Holy Boy was released in 2025 with a total runtime of 2h 2m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Holy Boy?
The Holy Boy had a reported production budget of $4M and grossed $378K at the worldwide box office (0.09 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Holy Boy?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Holy Boy was composed by Federico Bisozzi, Davide Tomat.