--- title: "The Hand of God: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-hand-of-god/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-hand-of-god" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 24 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Hand of God (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 24 reviews: 14 positive, 6 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Hand of God, praising Sorrentino’s personal account of growing up and its vivid evocation of Naples. The strongest agreement concerns the crowded family scenes: their comic timing, eccentric characters and affectionate observation give the film much of its life. Filippo Scotti’s performance also draws praise, alongside the sunlit imagery. Admirers find the movement between humour and sorrow affecting, and welcome a degree of restraint in Sorrentino’s filmmaking. The spread of opinion is wide, however, with reservations clustering around the less focused second half, uneven emotional impact and treatment of women. Some critics see self-indulgence where others find candour. The AV Club admires the family chemistry but objects to the passive central character and sometimes retrograde attitudes. Variety is more sharply dismissive, finding the drama overstated and the characterisation weak, despite recognising raw emotional power in an individual scene. ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Festival review. Rooney finds the film a deeply personal and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story. He particularly praises its warm, sharply observed family scenes and Filippo Scotti’s affecting performance. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/paolo-sorrentinos-the-hand-of-god-review-1235005130/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. Ebiri finds the film a captivating, melancholy portrait of how tragedy helps shape Sorrentino into an artist. He praises its unsanitized depiction of family life and its sense of beauty as a force that can help save broken lives. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-netflixs-the-hand-of-god.html) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B+. 2 September 2021. Ehrlich calls the film Sorrentino’s most personal and best, praising how its relative restraint brings the coexistence of joy and tragedy into focus. He notes that the second half leaves important characters dangling, though its final image captures the film’s wistful promise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-hand-of-god-review-paolo-sorrentino-netflix-1234660620/) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Rating 4/5. The critic presents it as an engaging, unpredictable coming-of-age story. He highlights Fabietto’s exposure to family tensions, sexual temptation and the magic of moviemaking. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-8c67jd/the-hand-of-god) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 2 September 2021. The review praises Sorrentino’s film as a hauntingly personal memoir of grief and growing up. It singles out the film’s blend of personal memory and maverick footballers as a Neapolitan gem. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-hand-of-god-2021) ## The i Paper — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. Macnab finds the film a moving, lively coming-of-age story that avoids self-indulgence and nostalgia. He praises Sorrentino’s affectionate, vivid portrayal of Naples and its lost world. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-hand-of-god-review-a-darkly-emotional-journey-to-paolo-sorrentinos-youth-in-maradonas-naples-netflix-1331628) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2021. Lane finds “The Hand of God” tender and affecting, praising its vivid portrait of family life and memory. He singles out the sunlit views of Naples and the crowded family lunch for their power to inspire longing. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/06/licorice-pizza-is-paul-thomas-andersons-seventies-show) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Festival review. Romney finds Sorrentino’s memoir highly personal and vividly cinematic. He praises how fully the film breathes on the big screen. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-hand-of-god-venice-review/5162899.article) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. The critic finds the film a bittersweet, personal and somewhat fictionalised memoir. They praise its tragicomic view of family and the way it connects Fabietto’s coming of age with Sorrentino’s discovery of cinema. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/hand-god-leaves-viewers-sort-autobiography-from-fabrication) ## Empire — Alex Godfrey Fi1m's normalised score 72/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2021. Godfrey finds the film a charming, visually rich tribute to Sorrentino’s youth, though it is less emotionally forceful than it might be. He particularly praises its vivid evocation of 1980s Naples and its eccentric characters. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-hand-of-god/) ## The AV Club — Leila Latif Rating B-. 1 December 2021. Latif finds the film sporadically lovely, with vivid warmth and humor, but uneven and sometimes retrograde. She particularly praises the chemistry and comic timing of Fabietto’s family, while criticizing the film’s treatment of women and its passive central character. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/with-the-hand-of-god-the-director-of-the-great-beauty-1848135623) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2021. The URL identifies this as a New York Times review of the 2021 film. The page is blocked, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/14/movies/the-hand-of-god-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — William Repass Rating 2.5/4. 30 November 2021. Repass finds the film an evocative, visually arresting love letter to Naples, though he criticizes its gratuitous sexualization of women. He particularly praises how the film’s images make miracles and tragedy feel inseparable. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-hand-of-god-review-paolo-sorrentino/) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2021. Abele finds the film uneven but occasionally dazzling, with its personal memories and visual flair making a mixed impression. He praises the lively, eccentric family dynamics of the first half, while finding the later episodes less compelling. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-01/review-the-hand-of-god) ## The Guardian — Xan Brooks Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Festival review. Brooks finds the film vivid and bawdy, but feels its autobiographical closeness sometimes makes it adolescent and overly self-mythologizing. He singles out its raw, sun-blasted evocation of Naples and its delicious set pieces for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/02/the-hand-of-god-review-paolo-sorrentino) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Jenkins finds the film frustratingly uneven, with its personal approach and spectacle often undermined by weak emotional impact. He praises its evocative portrayal of how sensory details lodge in memory. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-hand-of-god-venice-film-festival-review) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Gleiberman finds the film caught between nostalgic personal memory and broad, overstated drama, making it an uneven portrait. He praises the hospital scene for its raw emotional power, while criticizing the characterization and the film’s hamhanded approach. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/the-hand-of-god-review-paolo-sorrentino-1235054390/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). The headline indicates a negative verdict, arguing that the film wastes its talented cast. It singles out the cast’s wasted potential as the central complaint. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/amazons-ugly-hand-of-god-wastes-talented-cast) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.9/10. 3 December 2021. Crump calls the film Sorrentino’s best work to date, praising its clear-eyed, funny and poignant depiction of everyday life. He singles out Sorrentino’s craftsmanship and the film’s vivid observation of Fabietto’s family and world. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/netflix/the-hand-of-god-review) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2021. Festival review. Hammond finds the film an enormously effective, touching memoir and a departure from Sorrentino’s usual style. He especially praises Filippo Scotti’s portrayal of Fabietto and Daria D’Antonia’s cinematography. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/09/the-hand-of-god-venice-film-review-paolo-sorrentino-1234823794/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film a deeply personal, visually beautiful coming-of-age story that gently sweeps viewers away. It praises Filippo Scotti’s performance and Sorrentino’s evocative portrayal of Naples, while noting the story lingers slightly too long. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-hand-of-god-review/) ## The Skinny — Rafaela Sales Ross Rating ★★★. 13 October 2021. Festival review. The review finds the film delightful in its first half but says it loses its way after turning toward tragedy. It praises the lively family dynamics, especially the writing and performances of the parents. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/lff-2021-the-hand-of-god) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2021. Kermode finds the film technically accomplished but self-indulgent, with uneven pacing and a style that sometimes overwhelms its story. She praises its beautiful imagery and the performances of Toni Servillo and Teresa Saponangelo. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-hand-of-god-2021-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2021. Festival review. The critic finds Sorrentino’s autobiographical coming-of-age film inert, flat, and lacking a meaningful point of view. They fault its superficial portrayal of Aunt Patrizia and its unreflective gaze at the characters. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-hand-of-god-film-review-paolo-sorrentino-netflix/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-hand-of-god.md