Paolo Genovese’s new film brings us a bitter ensemble with an impressive cast that poses the question: How well do we really know those close to us? During a dinner party, seven friends decide to play a dangerous game. Each attendee places their cell phone on the table and agrees to make all texts and calls public in an attempt to prove that they have nothing to hide. What at first seems like a playful distraction between friends quickly turns into something much more toxic as the messages begin to reveal how little they may know about the partners and acquaintances surrounding them. Through its brilliant scripting and cast, including Alba Rorhwacher, Marco Giallini, and other Italian favorites, Perfect Strangers effortlessly transitions from tender comedy to piercing drama without taking away from the dialogue’s grounding sense of honesty. Throughout, Genovese provides an undeniably modern take on a classic story, examining the ways performance comes to define our public lives.

—Frederic Boyer

Paolo Genovese