This film is currently unavailable
Toxic Love
A group of heroin addicts in Rome spend their time relentlessly pursuing funds for their next score, in Claudio Caligari’s uncompromising portrayal of drug addiction in 1980s Italy, long unavailable in the UK.
Director: Claudio Caligari
Overview
A group of heroin addicts hanging out at Ostia beach in Rome spent theit time squabbling among themselves as they relentlessly pursue their next score, fuelled by petty theft and armed robbery. Their tedious, marginal lives are only momentarily punctuated with the faint hope of getting clean. Employing a candid documentary style and a vivid sun-bleached colour palette, the stark realities of a life consumed by addiction are boldly presented through dramatic scenes of shooting up, coerced prostitution and fearsome overdoses.
Italian director Claudio Caligari’s remarkable debut is an uncompromising portrayal of drug addiction in 1980s Rome, for which he cast non-professional actors who were themselves struggling with addiction, bringing a colourful layer of veracity to the story. Despite winning a prize at the 1983 Venice Film Festival, the film has never previously been distributed in the UK and was largely out of circulation until a new restoration from the 16mm negative was presented at the 2021 Rome Film Festival.
Related
Disco Boy Disco Boy
Drama 2023 92 mins Director: Giacomo Abbruzzese
Franz Rogowski (Bird, Passages) is superb as a migrant mercenary with a heart of darkness, in this trippy jungle odyssey.
The Queen of My Dreams The Queen of My Dreams
Comedy 2023 99 mins Director: Fawzia Mirza
Soulful story of the love and war between a queer woman and her mother, spanning across decades and continents.
Safe Safe
Drama 1995 119 mins Director: Todd Haynes
Julianne Moore stars as a suburban housewife who suffers from a mysterious illness in Todd Haynes’ inspired blend of horror and existential Americana.
The Last Detail The Last Detail
Comedy 1973 104 mins Director: Hal Ashby
Jack Nicholson is at his very best in this highly-acclaimed dramatic comedy from Hal Ashby about three sailors on the loose.
Red Rooms Red Rooms
Drama 2023 118 mins Director: Pascal Plante
The allure of the serial killer is explored in this deeply unsettling and unforgettable exploration of the impact of extreme violence.
Taxi Zum Klo Taxi Zum Klo
Comedy 1981 90 mins Director: Frank Ripploh
Taxi zum Klo is a refreshingly guilt-free gay movie from West Germany about a promiscuous teacher, played by director Frank Ripploh.
Bait Bait
Drama 2019 89 mins Director: Mark Jenkin
Simmering tensions between locals and newcomers in a modern-day Cornish fishing village reach boiling point in this hugely acclaimed British independent film.
Days of the Bagnold Summer Days of the Bagnold Summer
Comedy 2019 86 mins Director: Simon Bird
Simon Bird’s directorial debut is a warm and witty graphic novel adaptation about a single librarian trying to reconnect with her introverted, metalhead teenage son.
Inland Inland
Drama 2022 82 mins Director: Fridtjof Ryder
This strange, enigmatic and engrossing thriller finds a troubled young man returning to his hometown in the wake of his mother’s disappearance.
We Love Moses We Love Moses
Drama 2016 16 mins Director: Dionne Edwards
Twelve year old Ella's obsession with her brother's best friend Moses leaves her with a secret to take to the grave.
Scrapper Scrapper
Comedy 2023 90 mins Director: Charlotte Regan
A gorgeous and colourful heart-warming gem from Charlotte Regan, one of the best new voices in British film.
Àma Gloria Àma Gloria
Drama 2023 84 mins Director: Marie Amachoukeli
Six-year-old Cléo spends a final summer with her beloved nanny Gloria, in this profoundly moving story of chosen family, duty and innocence lost.
Code 46 Code 46
Science Fiction 2004 93 mins Director: Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom's cult sci-fi stars Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton as star-crossed lovers in a totalitarian world; set to an intoxicating soundtrack by David Holmes' Free Association.
Disco Boy Disco Boy
Drama 2023 92 mins Director: Giacomo Abbruzzese
Franz Rogowski (Bird, Passages) is superb as a migrant mercenary with a heart of darkness, in this trippy jungle odyssey.
The Queen of My Dreams The Queen of My Dreams
Comedy 2023 99 mins Director: Fawzia Mirza
Soulful story of the love and war between a queer woman and her mother, spanning across decades and continents.
Safe Safe
Drama 1995 119 mins Director: Todd Haynes
Julianne Moore stars as a suburban housewife who suffers from a mysterious illness in Todd Haynes’ inspired blend of horror and existential Americana.
The Last Detail The Last Detail
Comedy 1973 104 mins Director: Hal Ashby
Jack Nicholson is at his very best in this highly-acclaimed dramatic comedy from Hal Ashby about three sailors on the loose.
Red Rooms Red Rooms
Drama 2023 118 mins Director: Pascal Plante
The allure of the serial killer is explored in this deeply unsettling and unforgettable exploration of the impact of extreme violence.