Is Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2024)

📖 The Core Premise

Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano returns to the screen in 2024, bringing a fresh narrative to the Documentary genre. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "Perhaps at first glance, the filmography of Silvio Narizzano appears unremarkable. Thanks to his sleeper hit Georgy Girl (1966), he's known largely as a "one-hit wonder" director. Upon closer inspection, however, likely no other filmmaker used cinema as effectively to exorcise personal demons in ways both ugly and beautiful. And few directors' sensibilities were more gay, both overtly and covertly. Film historian Daniel Kremer is your tour guide through an obscure, perplexing body of work heretofore ignored and often unfairly shunned. Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano is an essay documentary of discovery."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. In Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano, even the presence of David Del Valle struggles to save a script that feels disjointed. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 134 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.