On My Skin
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Haunting drama about police brutality victim; mature themes.
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What's the Story?
ON MY SKIN traces the real events surrounding the arrest of Stefano Cucchi (Alessandro Borghi), which became one of Italy's most notorious cases in recent memory. A recovering drug addict, Stefano seems to be staying straight and doing well. He shows up on time for work every day, trains as a boxer, and stops by his parents' apartment for a visit or a meal every day, too. But one night, local police arrest him for drug possession and dealing. What happens to Stefano over the course of his week in prison awaiting trial may never be fully understood. But Stefano's family wants answers to important questions we as a society should be asking ourselves.
Is It Any Good?
This cry for justice is haunting, harrowing, tragic, and hard to watch, but well worth watching because it raises questions about injustice that society has to answer. Borghi's fine performance as Stefano and director Alessio Cremonini's quiet, relentless tone show a series of events that are hard to believe and don't try to disguise the point of view that what happened to Stefano and his family is as far removed from justice as can be imagined.
It's certainly a riveting and engaging way to start mature teens thinking and talking about lots of aspects of criminal justice. How effective is it to treat drug problems as crimes? How much power do local cops have over the people on their beats? How do we treat people fairly who've been arrested but not convicted? How can we make sure prisoners get adequate medical treatment? How do the criminal justice and prison systems treat family members? Stefano's case, and so many of these questions, remain unsolved, which make On My Skin a movie best for mature teens who are able to handle the lack of resolution. And maybe it'll encourage them to learn more and find a way to ensure justice and fair treatment for everyone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how On My Skin portrays violence. Is the movie any easier to watch because we don't see any actual violence happening? Why or why not?
How does watching Stefano's suffering affect you and your reaction to his story? Did it change your opinions about police, criminal justice, or prisoner treatment? How? If not, why not?
How does our criminal justice system compare to others around the world? How can you find out more about things like how many people are in jail who haven't been convicted of a crime, for example, or how many prisoners die in their first week of incarceration? How fair is our justice system?
Are there any points in Stefano's story where things might have turned out differently? Where? What would've needed to happen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 12, 2018
- Cast: Alessandro Borghi, Jasmine Trinca
- Director: Alessio Cremonini
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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