Perfect Strangers (2016 film)

2016 Italian film by Paolo Genovese From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Perfect Strangers (Italian: Perfetti sconosciuti[2] [perˈfɛtti skonoʃˈʃuːti]) is a 2016 Italian psychological comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Paolo Genovese.[3][4] It was released in Italy on 11 February 2016.[4]

ItalianPerfetti sconosciuti
Directed byPaolo Genovese
Screenplay by
Story byPaolo Genovese
Quick facts Italian, Directed by ...
Perfect Strangers
Theatrical release poster
ItalianPerfetti sconosciuti
Directed byPaolo Genovese
Screenplay by
Story byPaolo Genovese
Produced byMarco Belardi
Starring
CinematographyFabrizio Lucci
Edited byConsuelo Catucci
Music byMaurizio Filardo
Production
companies
Distributed byMedusa Distribuzione
Release date
  • 11 February 2016 (2016-02-11) (Italy)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Box office$32.2 million[1]
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The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the David di Donatello in the Best Film Category and grossing more than €16 million in Italy..[citation needed]

As of January 2024, the film was recognised as the most remade film by Guinness World Records, with productions in 24 different languages.

Plot

On the evening of a total eclipse of the moon, which is said to make people more emotional, seven close friends gather for a dinner party. Early in the meal time, one of the friends, a relationship therapist named Eva, says that she is convinced that many couples would separate if they saw the messages on each other's phones. As the friends debate this contention, they agree—some of them reluctantly—to play a game. They will each place their phone on the table and they will share their messages and calls with the rest of the group.

At first, the game seems harmless; no one has anything to hide. Gradually, the calls and messages become more compromising. They reveal that one married woman is having an affair and that a man who has been pretending to have an absent girlfriend is not who he seems to be. As the calls continue, the network of lies and secrets become increasingly tangled. Almost no one at the table is spared. By the end of the night, the group's friendships, marriages, and romances have been shattered.[5]

As the guests leave the apartment, they behave as if nothing had happened, the end of the eclipse seemingly causing them to forget what happened during it. Each of their relationships are exactly as they were at the start of the evening, as if the game never happened, and they return to their lives.

Cast

Reception

Box office

The film was number-one on its opening week in Italy, with US$3.7 million.[3] It grossed $31.6 million at the box office.[1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 77% based on reviews from 13 critics, and an average rating of 6.7/10.[6]

Accolades

More information Year, Award/Festival ...
Year Award/Festival Category Recipients Result
2016 David di Donatello Best Film Paolo Genovese Won
Best Director Paolo Genovese Nominated
Best Script Paolo Genovese, Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paola Mammini, Rolando Ravello Won
Best Actress Anna Foglietta Nominated
Best Actor Marco Giallini Nominated
Best Actor Valerio Mastandrea Nominated
Best Original Song Perfetti sconosciuti by Bungaro, Cesare Chiodo and Fiorella Mannoia Nominated
Best Editing Consuelo Catucci Nominated
Best Sound Umberto Montesanti Nominated
2016 Bari International Film Festival Tonino Guerra Award for Best Scriptment Paolo Genovese Won
2016 Tribeca Film Festival Best Screenplay Paolo Genovese, Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paola Mammini, Rolando Ravello Won
2017 Vilnius International Film Festival Audience's Favourite Film[7] Paolo Genovese Won
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Remakes

More information Country, Original title ...
Country Original title English title Release date Note
Greece Τέλειοι Ξένοι Perfect Strangers 15 December 2016 [8]
Spain Perfectos desconocidos Perfect Strangers 1 December 2017 Directed by Álex de la Iglesia.[9]
Turkey Cebimdeki Yabancı Stranger in My Pocket [tr] 2 February 2018 [10]
France Le Jeu Nothing to Hide 17 October 2018 Directed by Fred Cavayé.[11]
South Korea 완벽한 타인 Intimate Strangers 31 October 2018 [12]
Hungary BÚÉK Happy New Year [hu] 6 December 2018 Directed by Krisztina Goda.[13]
Mexico Perfectos desconocidos Perfect Strangers 25 December 2018 [14]
China 来电狂响 Kill Mobile [zh] 29 December 2018 [15]
Russia Громкая связь Loud Connection 14 February 2019 [16] A sequel, Obratnaya svyaz, was released in 2020.[17]
Armenia Անհայտ բաժանորդ Unknown Subscriber [hy] 5 September 2019 [18]
Poland (Nie)znajomi [pl] 16 September 2019 [19]
Germany Das perfekte Geheimnis [de] 31 October 2019 [20]
Vietnam Tiệc trăng máu Blood Moon Party [vi] 23 October 2020 [21]
Japan おとなの事情 スマホをのぞいたら [ja] 8 January 2021 [22]
Slovakia, Czech Republic Známi neznámi [sk] 5 August 2021 [23]
Romania Complet necunoscuți Perfect Strangers [ro][24] 24 September 2021 [25]
Netherlands Alles op tafel Perfect Strangers [nl] 4 November 2021 [26]
Israel זרים מושלמים Perfect Strangers [he] 11 November 2021 Directed by Lior Ashkenazi.[27]
Egypt, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates أصحاب ...ولا أعزّ Perfect Strangers 20 January 2022 Released by Netflix.[28]
Norway Full dekning [no] 25 February 2022 [29]
Indonesia Perfect Strangers [id] 20 October 2022 Released by Amazon Prime Video.[30]
Azerbaijan Geri dönənlər 28 December 2022 [31]
Iceland Villibráð Wild Game 6 January 2023[32] [33]
Denmark, Iceland Hygge! 26 October 2023 [34]
India Khel Khel Mein 15 August 2024 [35]
Finland Täydelliset vieraat [fi] 19 September 2025 [36]
Brazil Perfeitos Desconhecidos [pt] 7 November 2025 [37]
Estonia Täiuslikud võõrad 16 January 2026 Filmed simultaneously in Vilnius.[38]
Lithuania (ne)tobuli melagiai Perfect Strangers 25 September 2026 [39]
Latvia Perfektie The Perfect Ones 13 February 2026
Thailand เพื่อนรัก เพื่อนลับ Behind the Screens 23 July 2026 [40]
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As of December 2017, remakes were underway in Qatar and Sweden.[41]

In February 2017, The Weinstein Company acquired the rights to an English-language remake.[42] In December 2019, Issa Rae was announced to write, star in, and produce the US remake with Spyglass Media Group, a subsidiary of Lantern Entertainment, which acquired the assets of The Weinstein Company after its bankruptcy.[43] In December 2023, producer Tarak Ben Ammar revealed that his Eagle Pictures was working on the remake with Italian filmmaker Carlo Carlei set to direct the film. Rae was no longer attached to star.[44]

Having been remade 24 times, the film was recognized as the most remade film in Guinness World Records.[45] In 2025, Genovese said he had a "conflicting relationship" with the remakes, naming the Spanish remake as "the worst" and the Korean one as his favourite.[46]

The Indian films Loudspeaker (2018), 1001 Nunakal (2022) and Ring Ring (2025) have been accused to have plagiarised Perfect Strangers.[47][48][49] 12th Man (2022) was inspired by Perfect Strangers.[50]

Stage adaptations

A number of Spanish-language stage adaptations of Perfect Strangers have been produced. An Argentine adaptation directed by Guillermo Francella premiered in March 2018.[51] A Spanish version adapted by David Serrano and Daniel Guzmán and directed by Guzmán premiered on 26 September 2018.[52] A Uruguayan production premiered in April 2019.[53] A Peruvian adaptation premiered on 9 October 2019.[54] A Mexican production premiered in November 2019.[55] A Colombian production premiered in March 2022.[56]

An Israeli adaptation opened at the Habima Theatre on 22 November 2018.[57] Two Slovene adaptations opened in 2019 and 2023, respectively.[58][59]

An Italian adaptation, directed by Genovese himself, in his theatrical debut, premiered on 10 February 2023.[60][61]

A Bosnian adaptation, directed by Lajla Kaikčija premiered in May 2024, in Sarajevos Kamerni teatar 55 (Chamber Theater 55).[62][63]

An English-language adaptation written and directed by Robert O'Hara, titled Shit. Meet. Fan., premiered off-Broadway at MCC Theater on 10 October 2024.[64]

References

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