I Told You So

Italy | 2023 | 100 min. | Ginevra Elkann

Strange things happen when temperatures rise. As Rome suffers a terrible heat wave (in January!), an ensemble of citizens—played by some of Italy’s finest actors—crumble emotionally and morally in the face of this unprecedented climate crisis.

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I Told You So channels today’s environmental anxieties into a black comedy/drama that asks, “How exactly would the climate apocalypse magnify each of our little ticks?” Set amidst an abnormal January heatwave in Rome, Gianna (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) copes with the loss of custody of her daughter Mila (Sofia Panizzi) by indulging her alcoholism, going to church, and stalking her estranged friend, the washed-up ’80s porn actress Pupa (Valeria Golino), whose plastic surgery obsession and hunger for the fame of decades past have set her on a vicious cycle of bankruptcy and embarrassing career choices. Mila, who struggles with bulimia, works as a caretaker for an older woman who can’t stop TV shopping. The priest of Gianna’s church, Father Bill (Danny Huston), an ex-heroin addict, is surprised when his sister pops up with their mother’s ashes and some strange post-mortem instructions. And as all these very human issues intensify with the heat, you know that the birds, rats, and other animals of Rome are going absolutely bananas. Where other climate apocalypse films have zoomed out to confront the global catastrophe of climate change, I Told You So whips out a magnifying glass to investigate how individuals and relationships quickly become strained when the world boils.

—Angel Cetorelli

  • Original Language Title: Te l'avevo detto
  • Director: Ginevra Elkann
  • Principal Cast: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Riccardo Scamarcio, Danny Huston
  • Country: Italy
  • Year: 2023
  • Running Time: 100 min.
  • Producer: Lorenzo Mieli, Simone Gattoni, Malcom Pagani, Moreno Zani, Mauro Monachini
  • Screenplay: Ginevra Elkann
  • Cinematographers: Vladan Radovic
  • Editors: Desideria Rayner
  • Music: Riccardo Senigallia
  • Filmography: If Only (2019)
  • Language: English, Italian
  • Has Subtitles: Yes
  • International Sales: The Match Factory