His latest film is not a disaster. It is something worse: a product that works too well to feel the need to change.
In recent years, every new Checco Zalone film has been presented as a national event. Sold-out theaters, enthusiastic headlines, guaranteed box office returns. But what happens when an “event” is no longer necessary?
Checco Zalone’s latest film is not a failure. And that is precisely the problem.
It works. It sells tickets. It delivers a few laughs. But it does so like a perfectly lubricated machine that follows the same route every time, carefully avoiding any detour that might lead somewhere unexpected. This is cinema that never fails because it never dares.
When comedy used to be an accusation
At the beginning, Zalone was something rare. An unpleasant yet revealing mask, designed to sabotage any easy empathy. The character was ignorant, selfish, culturally shallow — and the writing made no effort to rescue him.
Laughter came from discomfort, from distance, from uneasy recognition. You laughed at him, and in doing so realized you were not watching “someone else”, but a slightly more honest version of what Italy can be when it stops pretending.
For many viewers, the high point remains Sole a catinelle: a popular comedy capable of leaving a bitter aftertaste. There, humor was born from unease, not from punchlines. And above all, there was one thing that is missing today: necessity.
Comparison: it used to bite, now it soothes
The early films
- The protagonist was a moving indictment, not a mascot.
- Satire emerged from real situations and conflicts.
- Laughter carried an aftertaste of discomfort and recognition.
- The audience often laughed against the main character.
The latest film
- The character self-parodies and ultimately absolves himself.
- Provocation is measured, controlled, and neutralized.
- Hot topics are mentioned rather than explored.
- Consensus is guaranteed, risk is eliminated.
The real issue: it is not repetitive, it is interchangeable
The problem is not that the latest Zalone film resembles the previous ones. It is that it could be swapped with them. Change the title, the setting, add a couple of “clever” songs, and the result remains the same: a product calibrated not to leave any marks.
There is no scene that truly unsettles. No secondary character that survives beyond a gag. No narrative choice that feels necessary. This is cinema consumed while watching it: once you leave the theater, there is very little left to discuss.
Conclusion: success as an anesthetic
Checco Zalone is not experiencing a creative crisis. He is in a state of stasis. He has found a formula that works and has decided to inhabit it indefinitely. But comedy, once it stops taking risks, also stops being relevant.
The latest film is not bad. It is worse: it is irrelevant, because it could simply not exist and nothing would change.
Rating: 4/10
The talent is still there, but it is mostly used to avoid getting hurt.
FAQ
Is Checco Zalone’s new film worth watching?
It is technically solid but creatively predictable.
Is it his worst film?
No. It is simply the least necessary.