Bad Tales

Bad Tales is set in a small suburb on the edge of Rome, where summer heat and the appearance of ordinary family life conceal something much colder. Behind the houses, courtyards and gardens, fathers exercise a quiet cruelty, mothers stay silent, and other adults look away. The children of these families, diligent and watchful, carry their own desperation and anger, which builds toward an outburst that will affect the whole community.

The film was directed by Damiano D'Innocenzo and Fabio D'Innocenzo, who also wrote the screenplay. It was their first feature, followed by America Latina in 2022 and Dostoyevsky in 2024. The cast includes Elio Germano as Bruno Placido, Tommaso Di Cola as Dennis Placido, Giulietta Rebeggiani as Alessia Placido, Gabriel Montesi as Amelio Guerrini, Justin Alexander Korovkin as Geremia Guerrini and Barbara Chichiarelli as Dalila Placido. It was produced by Agostino Saccà and Giuseppe Saccà, with backing from RAI Cinema, SRG SSR, Sky Italia and Vision Distribution, and runs 98 minutes.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 from around 7,400 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7 out of 10 from roughly 618 votes. The two audience scores are close, indicating a generally moderate but not enthusiastic response.