Italian folk horror The Holy Boy arrives on Shudder on November 27, with today bringing a brand new trailer that'll make you say your prayers.
From director Paolo Strippoli (A Classic Horror Story), The Holy Boy stars Michele Riondino (The Past is a Foreign Land) as Sergio, a teacher tormented by his past who is transferred to Remis, a secluded village known as the happiest town in Italy (we're sure that's definitely not a misnomer at all):
But Sergio soon discovers that behind the town’s joyful facade lies a disturbing secret: Each week, the villagers gather to hug Matteo (Giulio Feltri), an introverted fifteen-year-old whose embrace can free one of all pain and sorrow. As Sergio uncovers that the village’s devotion to Matteo is far from benevolent, his attempt to rescue the boy known as the Angel of Remis ignites the community’s vengeful nature.
Since premiering at the Venice International Film Festival last year, The Holy Boy has had a successful run of festival screenings, winning the Audience Award and New Wave Best Director at Fantastic Fest 2025, and Best Director and Best Cinematography at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival of the same year.
The supernatural chiller is currently rated 91% Fresh over on Rotten Tomatoes.
Previously, director Strippoli had the following to say about teaming with everyone's favorite genre streamer to release The Holy Boy:
“Shudder is a guiding light in visionary genre cinema, and I am beyond thrilled they will bring THE HOLY BOY to a wider, passionate audience. The film explores our relationship with pain—the shortcuts we take to avoid it, and the way in which pain itself makes us fully human. We imagined a town that does not exist but could, and a ritual that does not exist but could: an uncanny embrace that takes away all suffering. Soon, new audiences will embrace THE HOLY BOY,and discover its terrifying consequences.”
The Holy Boy hits Shudder on November 27. Check out a new poster below:
