Tiger Boy

2012 0h 20m IT

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 44

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Matteo, a nine years old kid, builds a mask identical to the one of his hero: a wrestler of a roman suburb called The Tiger. Once the mask is on, Matteo never wants to take it off. What simply appears as a tantrum is in reality a call for help that nobody seems to hear.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Cast

Simone Santini
Matteo
Francesco Foti
Preside
Lidia Vitale
Mamma
Karim Bartoli
Il Tigre
Daniele Trombetti
Big Tornado
Fabio Melorio
Presentatore

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gabriele Mainetti
Writers: Nicola Guaglianone, Nicola Guaglianone
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 20-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gabriele Mainetti, shot by Michele D'Attanasio. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gabriele Mainetti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Simone Manetti shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Simone Santini and Francesco Foti and Lidia Vitale carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2222164 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gabriele Mainetti directs. Michele D'Attanasio behind the camera. Gabriele Mainetti scores. Simone Manetti cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 20-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 14 years ago.
3Directed by Gabriele Mainetti, shot by Michele D'Attanasio. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Gabriele Mainetti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Simone Manetti shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Simone Santini and Francesco Foti and Lidia Vitale carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt2222164 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michele D'Attanasio
Original score: Gabriele Mainetti
Editing: Simone Manetti
Production design: Martina Castagnoli
Costume design: Margherita Meddi
Makeup / hair: Giorgina Bravo Fernandez
Stunt coordinator: Stefano Maria Mioni
Runtime: 20 min · 0h 20m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
IMDB: Tiger Boy (2012)

Also by

Gabriele Mainetti

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-06-13
★ 7/10
Nine year old "Matteo" (Simone Santini) is driving his mother (Lidia Vitale) bonkers. He has become obsessed with a wrestler called "The Tiger" and has made himself a facemask which he steadfastly refuses to take off. Even his school principal (Francesco Foti) can't persuade him to take it off - and it quickly appears to us that this is a man who can be quite "persuasive". When "Matteo" watches his hero win his latest fight against a far larger opponent - think David and Goliath in lycra, that victory seems to empower him and we begin to see that the mask isn't just a childish fad - but instead it has an altogether more significant purpose. We do get some clues as to the more sinister plot of this drama, and I thought Santini handled that really quite strongly. By the very nature of the unfolding scenario, he hasn't a lot of dialogue but that makes his situation and his solution all the more potent to observe. This isn't an easy film to watch, but it's quite a thought-provoking twenty minutes that has something of an eye-for-an-eye to it that it's hard to rebuke.

Production companies