My Killer Buddy (Un Amico di Famiglia)
Ten-year-old Denni is determined to save his mother from his abusive father. He hires “Secco,” a down-and-out would-be hitman, unaware that his plan will lead both of them into an unexpected alliance and a dangerous coming-of-age adventure.
DIRECTOR
Gianluca Santoni
Actors
1h 39m • Rated TBC • Drama, Crime • Italy, Croatia
Andrea Lattanzi • Francesco Lombardo • Barbara Ronchi • Andrea Sartoretti • Swamy Rotolo
Many critics praise Santoni’s direction for its emotional precision and restraint. The film avoids melodrama, instead finding beauty in fleeting moments—a shared meal, a long drive, the strange friendship between a child and a failed hitman. Its cinematography captures rural Italy in shades of melancholy and warmth, echoing the moral ambiguity of its characters. Though some feel the narrative softens its darker edges, My Killer Buddy is widely regarded as a striking debut: a morally complex, bittersweet story that blends suspense, humour, and human vulnerability with rare sensitivity.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
A darkly tender coming-of-age tale
Critics describe My Killer Buddy (Io e il Secco) as a confident and surprising debut from Gianluca Santoni—one that turns what might have been a bleak domestic thriller into an oddly heartwarming story of survival and connection. Reviewers note how the film walks a tonal tightrope between grit and whimsy, balancing a child’s desperate mission with flashes of absurd humour and genuine affection. Young Francesco Lombardo delivers a remarkable performance as Denni, portraying innocence and defiance with startling authenticity, while Andrea Lattanzi’s weary Secco grounds the story with quiet empathy.