Parthenope

Parthenope (2024) Movie Synopsis

Paolo Sorrentino returns with Parthenope (2024), a visually lyrical and deeply personal coming-of-age drama set in the luminous heart of Naples. Named after the mythological siren associated with the city, the film follows the life of a woman whose journey through love, loss, and self-discovery mirrors the soul of Naples itself. At once intimate and mythic, Parthenope unfolds as both a portrait of a city and a meditation on femininity, memory, and resilience.

The story centers on the titular character Parthenope, played with emotional depth and grace by newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta. From adolescence to adulthood, she moves through a world rich in beauty and contradiction, where everyday moments carry the weight of destiny. As she navigates friendships, family ties, and romantic entanglements, Sorrentino frames her experiences in lush cinematography and poetic silence, drawing viewers into an atmosphere as timeless as it is contemporary. The film’s emotional gravity is bolstered by a supporting cast that includes Gary Oldman and Stefania Sandrelli, each adding texture to Parthenope’s evolving world.

Critics have hailed Parthenope as one of Sorrentino’s most emotionally sincere films to date. Its aesthetic sensibility echoes the director’s signature style—elegant camera movements, opulent visual compositions, and a masterful command of mood—yet it offers a fresh vulnerability not often seen in his work. Rather than relying on narrative complexity, the film thrives on emotional clarity, allowing Parthenope’s quiet introspection and the shifting rhythms of life in Naples to guide the story organically.

More than just a character study, Parthenope is a cinematic elegy to womanhood and cultural identity. With its deliberate pacing and dreamlike tone, the film invites audiences to reflect on the fluid boundaries between myth and memory. Through Sorrentino’s empathetic lens, Parthenope becomes not only the name of a character, but a symbol of enduring beauty and spiritual strength, making it a standout entry in contemporary European cinema.

Parthenope Trigger Breakdown