Maladolescenza Letterboxd May 2026

No discussion of Maladolescenza on Letterboxd is complete without mentioning Eva Ionesco. The actress, who plays Silvia, was only 11 years old during filming. Her mother, the famous (and infamous) photographer Irina Ionesco, had been photographing Eva in erotic poses since she was a toddler.

Eva later sued her mother for the photographs and publicly stated that she felt exploited by Murgia. In interviews, she described the set of Maladolescenza as psychologically damaging. She is now a photographer and actress who has explicitly disavowed the film.

Letterboxd users frequently paste quotes from Eva’s adult interviews into their reviews. This transforms the film from a fictional narrative into a documentary of a child’s trauma. The platform becomes a space for public testimony, not just film criticism. maladolescenza letterboxd

You might think a banned Italian film from 1977 would be forgotten. Yet on Letterboxd, as of 2025, Maladolescenza has been logged by over 15,000 users. Its rating is a bizarre 2.1 stars—a statistical anomaly where 50% of users give it half a star (the lowest possible) and 20% give it 4 or 5 stars, claiming it is a misunderstood art film.

A recurring point of confusion and discourse on Letterboxd is the existence of the 2012 remake, New Maladolescenza (Dir. Hberg B.). No discussion of Maladolescenza on Letterboxd is complete

If you stumble upon the page (and I advise caution), here is what you will find:

Maladolescenza occupies a unique and horrifying space on Letterboxd. It is not a film you recommend. It is not a film you forget. It is a film you log with a warning to others. If you or someone you know is a

The platform has become the de facto public archive for the film’s infamy—a place where new generations learn why this particular piece of 1970s cinema is not a forgotten gem, but a criminal record of an abused childhood.

If you see the title trending on Letterboxd, do not be curious. The most common review is the wisest: "Don't watch it. Just read about it. Protect your peace."

Until Letterboxd makes the difficult decision to de-platform it, Maladolescenza will remain the darkest rabbit hole on the site—a one-star tombstone for the lost innocence of its child actors, and a mirror held up to the audience’s own voyeuristic shame.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of child exploitation, please contact local support services or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.