‘Ketticè’ Locarno Review: Coming-of-Age in a Cloud of Smoke

Giulio seems to have it easy. He’s 16, lives in Palermo, goes to school (without much interest), and comes from a well-off family that mostly leaves him alone—aside from the occasional complaint from his mother, played by Monica Bellucci. He hangs out with a large group of friends, drinking, smoking, and, above all, talking about girls. He juggles a couple of casual relationships, splitting his time between them. It’s 2012, and everyone connects through Facebook.

But if that laid-back dolce far niente lifestyle holds a certain allure, it’s more for the viewer than for Giulio himself. Played by Salvatore Gallina, he drifts through his days with a kind of numb indifference. Nothing really excites him: he has no hobbies, no academic interests, and even his place on a local football team is more nominal than real—he rarely shows up to practice. His parents occasionally raise their voices, but never much more than that. He shrugs off his mother’s complaints, and his father only intervenes when the school calls to report his lack of engagement.

The one thing that does seem to spark something in him is Ketty (Rachele Testagrossa), a new friend—direct, self-assured, and quick to form a bond. Their main activity consists of driving to a slightly rough neighborhood, buying marijuana, and sitting in the car to smoke it. Later, they’ll rejoin their friends—who are all somewhat more animated than Giulio—and spend their time flirting, kissing, arguing, gossiping, and getting caught up in the small dramas of school life.

Ketticè unfolds as a hangout movie, embedding itself in the rhythms of these teenagers’ lives. It lingers in long scenes of chatter, jokes, teasing, and sudden bursts of conflict. Speaking in Sicilian dialect, the characters are expressive and volatile, capable of fighting one moment and reconciling the next. There are few major dramatic turns, and those that do emerge are tied primarily to Giulio’s internal drift. The conflicts aren’t really about jealousy or romantic entanglements—though those are present—but about a more diffuse uncertainty: he simply doesn’t know what to do with his life. And even the haze of constant intoxication is starting to wear thin.

As a portrait of adolescence, the film is often compelling, populated by charismatic—and occasionally unforgettable—figures. Ketty stands out in particular: confident, at times more mature than she appears. The wider circle of friends and girlfriends is also vividly drawn. Where the film falters is in its depiction of adults, sketched in a tone that veers between mockery and cliché. Bellucci, for all her presence, can do little with a character defined almost entirely by complaint and irritation.

Visually, the film is at least intriguing. Director Tortorici experiments with unusually angled shots and occasionally indulges in excessive slow motion, paired with a soundtrack that swings between syrupy pop ballads and period Italian rap. At times it feels overdone, but the approach is consistent with the film’s perspective: this is a story filtered through Giulio’s subjective experience, with all its distortions. As his drug use becomes harder to control, that altered perception increasingly shapes the film’s visual grammar.

A coming-of-age story that doubles as a portrait of an unexpected friendship, Ketticè plays like a critical reminiscence of adolescence, filled with recognisable moments. It’s unclear how much of it is autobiographical, but it certainly feels personal—perhaps even like a self-portrait. Giulio doesn’t stumble upon filmmaking as a revelation, but in his tentative attempts to break free from the haze surrounding him, one can glimpse the outline of a future observer. Maybe even a filmmaker. Or, at the very least, someone learning how to look closely at the world around him.