Paul Verhoeven’s new movie is so horny. How horny is it? Paul Verhoeven’s new movie is so horny that even his longtime screenwriting collaborator Gerard Soeteman, who also worked with the filmmaker on Black Book and Turkish Delight, publicly distanced himself from the film during a 2018 interview in which he criticized Verhoeven for omitting the political themes and instead focusing too much on sex. Can a Paul Verhoeven film ever be too horny? Watch the first trailer for Benedetta—which you better believe is NSFW as hell—and decide for yourself:
Verhoeven’s highly anticipated follow-up to Elle was slated to premiere at the 2020 Cannes film festival, which was delayed due to the pandemic. The film will now premiere at the 2021 edition of the festival, followed by a July 9 theatrical release in France; a U.S. release date has yet to be announced. Based on the novel by Judith C. Brown and inspired by a true story, Benedetta follows Benedetta Carlini, a young woman with seemingly divine abilities who joins a convent and begins an affair with another nun:
In the late 15th century, with plague ravaging the land, Benedetta Carlini joins the convent in Pescia, Tuscany, as a novice. Capable from an early age of performing miracles, Benedetta’s impact on life in the community is immediate and momentous.
Benedetta stars Charlotte Rampling, Virginie Efira, and Daphné Patakia.