Watching a film that was made in your travel destination can be a great way prepare for your upcoming visit. Well-made films can capture the spirit of the place and its people, especially films that artistically evoke a different period.
I have listed below five films and one television series with Florence connections that I can personally endorse. These cover a variety of genres and eras. I like to limit my lists to films made no more than a few years before today’s college students were born, but I have included one classic from 1985. Only one of these is in Italian, in part because there just aren’t as many internationally known films set in Florence as there are for some of our other destinations.
The films are listed below in chronological order. I included year of release, genre, and overall IMDB rating. I also added a sentence or two of background and context. As a bonus at the end of the list I included one other notable to consider or to avoid.
A Room with a View 1985 romance IMDB: 7.3/10
A British film about British society strictures, but a holiday in Florence serves as the place where the cold rigidness can fall away and love can blossom. Winner of three Academy Awards, and the breakthrough for Helena Bonham Carter, also with a notable performance by a young Daniel Day-Lewis.
Life is Beautiful 1997 drama 8.6
One of the highest-grossing non-English language movies of all time. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Roberto Benigni. Set during World War II, a Jewish Italian father uses humor and imagination to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. The film was shot in the historic center of Arezzo, Tuscany (about 60 miles from Florence). In 2013, the Goethe Institute based in Munich surveyed tens of thousands of Europeans about their self-perceptions. For the question “What is the best European film?”, first overall was Life is Beautiful. Second and third place are on my Berlin and Paris lists.
Tea with Mussolini 1999 drama 6.9
The events in Tuscany leading up to the Second World War as seen by a young Italian boy whose upbringing is influenced by a circle of British and American women. Semi-autobiographical based on the memories of renowned director Franco Zeffirelli. Stars include Cher and Dame Judi Dench. The costumes are worth the watch.
Hannibal 2001 horror thriller 6.8
Anthony Hopkins reprises his most famous role as Hannibal Lecter. He is hiding out among the art treasures of Florence and much of the story takes place there. The film was a financial success, but for critics the long-awaited sequel could not emerge from the dual shadows of the legendary Silence of the Lambs and the cultural ubiquity of Hannibal Lecter as a boogeyman. Also, it was notable for violence and disturbing images.
Inferno 2016 thriller 6.2
Tom Hanks is back in the third Robert Langdon film based on the Dan Brown novels. The film opens in Florence and this is where the mystery begins with a Dante theme (hence the film’s title). It continues to Venice and Istanbul. Fans liked it and it was a big financial success, but critics dismissed this one, tiring of Brown’s quasi-historical hokum.
Medici 2016-2019 period drama 7.9
The Medicis were the leading family of Renaissance Florence. This show was an Italian and British production and told the story of Cosimo de Medici in the early 1400s and then Lorenzo (the Magnificent) in the late 1400s.
There just aren’t a lot of films made in Florence, but here is one more candidate to consider or not consider.
6 Underground 2019 action thriller 6.1
A Netflix film starring Ryan Reynolds and directed by Michael Bay. The opening chase scene is through the historic center of Florence. That’s the only connection though, and also be warned that the film is super violent and low-brow overall.