Movie · 2019 · Drama, Family, Fantasy · 2h 4m · PG-13 · IT
Curator score: 2.2/10 (43.5K ratings)
The most beloved fairy tale comes to life.
Overview
Old woodcarver Geppetto fashions a wooden puppet, Pinocchio, who magically comes to life. Pinocchio longs for adventure and is easily led astray, encountering magical beasts, fantastical spectacles, while making friends and foes along his journey. However, his dream is to become a real boy, which can only come true if he finally changes his ways.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.2/10
IMDb: 6.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.86/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Metacritic: 65
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
Matteo Garrone
Production
Archimede, Recorded Picture Company, Le Pacte, RAI Cinema, Leone Film Group
Cast
Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Marine Vacth, Gigi Proietti, Massimo Ceccherini, Rocco Papaleo, Alessio Di Domenicantonio, Marcello Fonte, Davide Marotta, Gigio Morra, Paolo Graziosi, Barbara Enrichi, Sergio Forconi, Pietro Fornaciari, Alida Baldari Calabria, Gianfranco Gallo, Massimiliano Gallo, Teco Celio, Maurizio Lombardi, Maria Pia Timo
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually striking, unusually eerie take on Collodi that leans into folk-tale darkness, class anxiety, and grotesque humor. It’s often more interesting than emotionally seamless, but the craftsmanship and atmosphere make it worthwhile for viewers open to a strange, faithful, and slightly exhausting adaptation.
Best for
fans of dark fairy tales
viewers who prefer practical effects and production design
adults revisiting classic children's literature
people interested in Italian cinema and folkloric storytelling
audiences who like unsettling family films
Skip if
you want a warm, easy family movie
you’re tired of Pinocchio adaptations
you dislike episodic storytelling
you need a polished, emotionally smooth narrative
you prefer bright Disney-style fantasy
Overview
Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio is less a cuddly children’s fantasy than a grim, textured folk tale. It embraces the oddness and cruelty of Collodi’s story, finding a balance between whimsy and menace that makes the world feel ancient, lived-in, and occasionally nightmarish.
Worth noting
The film’s strongest asset is its design: costumes, makeup, creatures, and landscapes give it a tactile, storybook authenticity. Roberto Benigni brings warmth as Geppetto, and the movie often feels most alive when it leans into its grotesque humor and class-conscious undercurrent.
Bottom line
Its weakness is structure. The episodic journey can feel repetitive, and the emotional momentum is less graceful than the imagery. Still, for viewers who want a Pinocchio that is strange, severe, and visually memorable, this is one of the more distinctive versions.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Eli Hayes (2★) · 279 likes
Petition to please stop re-imagining Pinocchio. I love you, Guillermo del Toro, but the train should end here. Or maybe he’ll crush it. I don’t know. I’m tired. This was exhausting.
Paul Elliott (3.5★) · 212 likes
There have been innumerable adaptations of the children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi since it's 1883 publication, but Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone assumes a reinvigorating departure from stale Disneyfication with this interpretation. Roberto Benigni illuminates the screen as the impoverished carpenter Geppetto, contributing to the film his characteristic enthusiasm and consequently heightening the energy within this aesthetically gratifying transformation.
CGI is delightfully used in cautious moderation, and the sophisticated prosthetics designed by Mark Coulier generate bringing vitality… more
nathan (2★) · 207 likes
what, and i cannot stress this enough, the FUCK
san (2.5★) · 171 likes
why take LSD when you can watch Pinocchio (2019) instead
2017 · Drama, Fantasy, Romance · 2h 3m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1.5M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For audiences who appreciate romanticized monsters, tactile production design, and a fairy-tale mood for adults.
Topics
dark fantasy, family drama, Italian cinema, folk tale, practical effects, grotesque imagery, class satire, coming-of-age, storybook atmosphere, episodic adventure