Full Breakdown
In the Hand of Dante – A Star-Studded Dual-Timeline Drama Meets Critical Backlash
6/28/2026, 1:16:11 AM
Film Overview
Julian Schnabel’s *In the Hand of Dante* adapts Nick Tosches’s 2002 novel. The 153-minute, R-rated feature intercuts a 2000-era New York mob-driven heist with 14th-century Florence, casting Oscar Isaac as both writer Nick Tosches and poet Dante Alighieri. Gal Gadot plays Giulietta in the modern plot and Gemma Donati in the medieval one; Gerard Butler doubles as hitman Louie and Pope Boniface VIII; John Malkovich appears as mob boss Joe Black; Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Jason Momoa and others fill additional dual roles. The film premiered out-of-competition at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025 and entered Netflix’s catalogue in June 2026 (UAE and other regions).
Background & Context
Johnny Depp’s production company secured the novel’s rights in 2008; Schnabel was announced as director in 2011. After a decade-long stall, Isaac replaced Depp, and principal photography proceeded during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, allowing the A-list cast to participate. With a $25 million budget, Schnabel aimed to fuse literary mystery with crime-thriller conventions, employing black-and-white cinematography for contemporary scenes and color for historical sequences.
Key Cast & Dual Roles
- Oscar Isaac – Nick Tosches / Dante Alighieri
- Gal Gadot – Giulietta (assistant) / Gemma Donati (Dante’s wife)
- Gerard Butler – Louie (enforcer) / Pope Boniface VIII
- John Malkovich – Joe Black (mafia don)
- Martin Scorsese – Isaiah (mentor)
- Al Pacino – Uncle Carmine (Tosches’s uncle)
- Jason Momoa – Rosario (mob enforcer)
Data & Statistics
- Runtime: 153 minutes (some sources list 150 minutes/2 h 30 m)
- Rating: R (U.S.)
- Budget: $25 million
- Rotten Tomatoes: 34 % based on 29 reviews
- Netflix Availability: streaming in the UAE and globally, included in all subscription tiers at no extra charge
Critical Reception
Across major outlets, the film received predominantly negative reviews. Critics described it as “overlong and disastrously ill-judged” (The New York Times) and faulted its “florid, repetitive conversations” (IGN). The dual-role casting was deemed “incidental” rather than thematically resonant, and the pacing was called “a nagging, listless handheld” that undermines narrative momentum (IGN). While some praised Isaac’s performance as an “anchor” (Inverse), most agreed the ambitious concept was eclipsed by a “clumsy, unwieldy” execution (Comic Basics).
Criticism & Opposition
- Narrative Overreach: Reviewers noted the film’s 153-minute length drags, turning the heist into an “endurance test.”
- Stylistic Inconsistency: Handheld camera work and long roving shots were called a “visual tic” lacking evolution.
- Dual Casting Issues: Repeating actors across timelines was seen as “incidental” and failed to create meaningful resonance.
- Emotional Deficit: Critics argued the script offers “interesting ideas” but lacks a compelling emotional core, rendering the love story “sour.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Runtime: Sources list 150 minutes, 153 minutes, and a 2 h 30 m running time.
- Release Timing: The Venice premiere is dated September 2025, while Netflix streaming began June 2026; viewership metrics remain undisclosed.
Official Statements & Responses
Netflix confirms that *In the Hand of Dante* is streaming on its platform in the UAE and worldwide, with a runtime of 153 minutes, an R rating, and inclusion in all subscription tiers at no additional cost. The service’s catalogue description frames the film as “somewhere between prestige literary drama and unhinged crime caper.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “You look at anything long enough, you see what’s wrong with it. A broad, your kid.” — Nick Tosches (character)
- “It’s whatever you want it to be,” — Mephistopheles (character)
- “overlong and disastrously ill-judged project.” — Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times
- “ The movie ends up bogged down by the kind of florid, repetitive conversations that are emblematic of a film student making their first mob picture.” — Brian Tallerico, IGN
- “ Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies also criticized the film’s execution, saying it feels like exaggerated stories that do not fully come together.” — Mark Dujsik, Mark Reviews Movies
- “The result is either a fever dream of ambition or the most interesting thing on your Netflix home screen this week, possibly both.” — TBreak editorial
What’s Next
As of the latest reports, no sequel has been announced; the film remains a standalone adaptation of Tosches’s novel.
