I’m Not Scared is a coming of age tale set in an Italian countryside small town during the summer. The opening scene of I’m Not Scared is a microcosm of the entire film. A group of kids are racing each other to an abandoned area, and instead of trying to win, Michele, a young boy, constantly thinks of others. The children’s play has a higher than usual cruelty content even for kids. There are unspoken rules that govern these children that are mysterious to the viewer. There is an implicit threat of sexual violence, which these kids are too young to understand or act on so I’m Not Scared already does an amazing job of setting the tone of what the adults are like. The children are a reflection of the town’s implied corruption. Michele is not like them. He intervenes before a line is crossed. Then things start to get interesting as he makes a discovery.
I’m Not Scared’s story is told through Michele’s eyes. I’m Not Scared has an amazing story and brilliant pacing. I’m Not Scared is visual foreboding and beautifully shot. The director drops hints that the abandoned area may not be as abandoned as it appears. There is a food container in the farmhouse that makes anoher appearance in a familiar spot. A dead snake lies in the road after being squashed by a car. As Michele gains more knowledge of what is actually going on, casual moments that were limited to the edges of the screen or just sounded like background noise begin to take focus and move into the foreground: news broadcasts, more adults congregating either to shop or deliberate.
I kept asking myself why Michele did not act a certain way, but Michele is not just acting out of childhood ignorance. He has absorbed and intuited the unspoken rules of the town, but unlike the other children, he has not adopted them out of self-interest. He could not act as I expected because there is no one who would see things his way and no authority other than the adults of his town. There is a looming threat to the town as portrayed by the sudden appearance of an enormous thresher or helicopter versus the teaming presence of nature: worms, frogs, insects, etc.
I’m Not Scared has a naturalistic Guillermo del Toro vibe when it focuses on Michele and his discovery, but the filmmaking never gets too stylized and remains grounded in reality.
Do not let the subtitles dissuade you from watching I’m Not Scared, an Italian masterpiece that has a refreshing take on the thriller genre as morality tale.