The Last Beautiful Thing

The Last Beautiful Thing
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Luca Luongo
Written by	Luigi Granato Luca Luongo
Produced by	Luca Luongo Vincenzo Luongo Silvio Rizzi Torino Elio Parascandolo
Starring	Angela D'Auria Luca Luongo Virginia Perna Arturo Sepe Anna Carrabs Patrizia Odorino
Cinematography	Pierino Santella
Music by	Sebastiano Della Bianchina
Production company	Aquilus Productions
Distributed by	Aquilus Productions (Italy)
Release dates	17 February 2025 (2025-02-17)(Berlin) 21 February 2025 (2025-02-21)(Italy)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

The Last Beautiful Thing (Italian : L'ultima cosa bella) is a 2025 drama film co-written and directed by Luca Luongo. It premiered at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival where it was screened out of competition for the EFM section. ^{[1] [2]}

Plot

The young Adele lives among the excesses of the nightlife of Naples. She is convinced that her life can improve by conquering Renzo, the PR of the nightclub where she works. But the meeting with the cryptic Federico will give her the chance to discover the true beauty. ^{[3] [4]}

Cast

• Angela D'Auria as Adele
• Luca Luongo as Federico
• Virginia Perna as Flavia
• Arturo Sepe as Renzo
• Anna Carrabs as Ghita
• Patrizia Odorino as Candida

Production

The filming of the film began in Naples on August 1, 2023. Several scenes were shot between Portici and other places in the province of Naples. ^[5]

Promotion and distribution

The teaser trailer of the film was released on October 1, 2024. ^{[6] [7]} The film was promoted on Rai 1, Rai News 24 and TV2000 between February and March 2025. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

The Last Beautiful Thing had its world premiere at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival, in the out-of-competition section EFM, on February 17. ^[11] The film was released in Italian cinemas on February 21, 2025, with the national premiere in Rome. ^[12] It was subsequently limited released on February 24, 2025. ^{[13] [14]}

Reception

Although the film caused division during its presentation at the Berlinale, the Italian critics have usually judged Luongo's first work positively, appreciating its social aspects: ^{[15] [16]}

«"The Last Beautiful Thing" is a generational cry [...] At the Berlin Film Festival the film splits the audience in two»

— Domenico Iovane, InDialogo , 17 febbraio 2025

and the directorial line adopted for the narration: ^[1]

«The young director's film goes beyond denunciation. It is a real slap in the face to today's society, which knows, is aware, but sometimes, keeps away from youthful desperation.»

— Ilaria Cotarella, Il Mattino , 20 marzo 2025

Festivals, awards and nominations

List of Accolades
Organizations / Festivals	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
75th Berlin Film Festival [1] [15]	EFM	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Official Selection
2025 Los Angeles Italia Film Festival [17] [18]	Best Picture	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Nominated
2025 Capri Hollywood International Film Festival [19]	Best Picture	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Nominated
2025 Lift-Off First-Time Filmmaker Sessions [20]	Best Picture	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Nominated
	Audience Choice Award	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Winner
2025 Sweden Film Awards [21]	Best First Feature Film	Luca Luongo	Nominated
2025 Ischia Global Film & Music Festival [22]	Best Picture	Luca Luongo, Vincenzo Luongo, Silvio Rizzi Torino and Elio Parascandolo	Nominated

References

1. "L'ultima cosa bella, Napoli "Babilonia" nel film di Luca Luongo" (in Italian). ilmattino.it. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
2. ANSA, Agenzia. "The Last Beautiful Thing (2025 movie) - ANSA". ANSA.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
3. MYmovies.it. "L'ultima cosa bella". MYmovies.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
4. L'ultima cosa bella (2025) | FilmTV.it (in Italian). 2025-02-25. Retrieved 2025-07-12– via www.filmtv.it.
5. "CinemaItaliano.info - Tutto il nuovo cinema italiano lo trovi qui". www.cinemaitaliano.info (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-05.
6. ""L'ultima cosa bella", da febbraio al cinema" (in Italian). laprovinciaonline.info. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
7. Guida, Davide (2024-10-03). "L'Ultima Cosa Bella, il film previsto nelle sale italiane nel 2025". DGNews - Il giornale della cultura e dello spettacolo (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
8. RAI (2025-02-09). L'Ultima Cosa Bella | RAI 1 | "Cinematografo" di e con Gigi Marzullo (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12– via YouTube.
9. RAI (2025-03-31). L'Ultima Cosa Bella | RAI NEWS 24 | "un film che è un romanzo di formazione" (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12– via YouTube.
10. Effetto Notte (TV2000) (2025-02-24). Effetto Notte (TV2000) - Berlinale 2025, Luca Luongo - "L'ultima cosa bella" (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12– via YouTube.
11. "Berlinale 2025, Luca Luongo – "L'ultima cosa bella" - Effetto Notte". www.tv2000.it (in Italian). 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
12. "L'ULTIMA COSA BELLA - Anteprima il 21 febbraio a Roma". www.cinemaitaliano.info (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
13. Carrella, Filomena (2025-02-06). ""L'ultima cosa bella", nel cast c'è Arturo Sepe". www.ilroma.net (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
14. "Arturo Sepe the local actor in the cast of The Last Beautiful Thing, a film presented at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 17 in the EFM section". Holiday Coast. 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
15. Domenico Iovane (17 February 2025). ""L'ultima cosa bella" del giovane regista Luongo al Festival di Berlino" (in Italian). InDialogo. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
16. Paola Ciniglio (11 March 2025). "L'Ultima Cosa Bella: il grido di una generazione smarrita" (in Italian). Puntofamiglia.net. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
17. "The last beautiful thing (L'ultima cosa bella) - films ready - films & docu". Filmitalia. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
18. "Los Angeles Italia Film Festival 2025 - Film Screenings". Los Angeles Film Festival (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
19. Hollywood, Capri (2025-04-28). "L'ULTIMA COSA BELLA". Capri Film Festival (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
20. Barrameda, Connie (2025-06-16). "First-Time Filmmaker Sessions Winners". Lift-Off Global Network. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
21. "SFA - 2025 nominations". Sweden Film Awards. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
22. "Ischia Global Film Fest 2025 - Films". Ischia Global Festival (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-07-13.

External links

• The Last Beautiful Thing at IMDb