Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Italian comedy with language, drinking, and cruel jokes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Buen Camino
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BUEN CAMINO, wealthy father Checco (Checco Zalone) is preparing for his 50th birthday when his teenage daughter, Cristal (Letizia Arnò), disappears. After hearing from his ex-wife Linda (Martina Colombari) and her partner, Tarek (Hossein Taheri), Checco tracks down Cristal's best friend, Corina (Beatrice Abbro), and learns that Cristal has gone to walk the Camino de Santiago. Checco follows her to Spain, where Cristal wants nothing to do with him at first. With help from Alma (Beatriz Arjona), the group's guide, Checco keeps walking, gives up some of his usual comforts, and tries to repair his relationship with his daughter.
Is It Any Good?
Warm, funny, and easy to surrender to, the movie knows exactly where it's going and still earns the walk. Buen Camino doesn't reinvent the spiritual journey movie, and anyone who has seen a story set on the Camino de Santiago will know what kind of transformation is coming. The pleasure is in how gracefully it gets there, and in how Checco Zalone makes an ignorant, shallow man feel human enough to root for. Checco says cruel, prejudiced, materialistic things, but the jokes don't feel cheap or careless. They become proof of how much he has to unlearn before he can really see the people around him.
What sneaks up on you is how lovely everyone around him is, and how much space Zalone gives them to be lovely. Cristal is the reason Checco starts walking, sure, but she still gets flashes of anger, stubbornness, and hurt that make her feel like more than a lesson waiting at the end of the road. Alma, played with such sweet warmth by Beatriz Arjona, lights up the film even when her twist can be seen from a Camino away. The movie also knows how beautiful the route is without turning it into a postcard. The towns, languages, meals, landscapes, and little encounters all feel like part of the spell. Even faith gets treated with surprising tenderness: Cristal has her Christianity, Checco has his money, and everyone seems to be walking toward whatever god they think might save them. It's familiar, yes, but it's also bighearted, mature, and very, very funny.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Checco's growth. How does he learn that loving someone means listening to what they need, not just giving them what he thinks they should want?
The movie includes cruel jokes about race, gender, disability, sexuality, and body size. How can viewers tell when a movie is criticizing harmful behavior instead of excusing it?
What does the story say about family beyond biology? How do Alma, Corina, Tarek, and Cristal show different kinds of care, loyalty, and responsibility?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 1, 2015
- Cast : Checco Zalone , Beatriz Arjona , Letizia Arnò , Cecilia Gragnani
- Director : Gennaro Nunziante
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Medusa Film
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Faith ( Christianity ) , Family Stories ( Dads ) , Travel
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Empathy , Teamwork
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 11, 2026
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