Review of In Your Arms (Malanova) by Roberto Cuzzillo. A sensitive drama about a gay couple whose daily life is shaken when one of them discovers he is HIV-positive.

With this introspective and sensitive feature film, director Roberto Cuzzillo addresses a subject that remains rare in contemporary gay-themed cinema. We follow Riccardo (Nuno Nolasco) and Matteo (Joele Anastasi), a happy gay couple. They have loved each other for several months, and the future seems to be smiling on them. But during a walk, Matteo, who does not seem to be feeling well, faints. After medical tests, he discovers that he is HIV-positive. For him, already dealing with hearing problems, this news is very difficult to handle. Riccardo has not yet been tested himself, but he already wants to show Matteo that he will always be by his side.

HIV in contemporary gay cinema: a reality still rarely shown

Many films and series have addressed the devastating AIDS epidemic in the past. But few works of fiction still depict what it feels like today to discover that one is HIV-positive. Times have changed and medicine has progressed; rather than merely surviving, one can simply continue living: one is undetectable and poses no risk to one’s partners. But learning that one is HIV-positive remains difficult to process when it happens to us.

In Your Arms explores the fears and psychological consequences of HIV

Here, Matteo’s character is deeply affected and plagued by dark thoughts. He does not want to become a burden to his partner, fears that he may have transmitted HIV to him, and does not feel strong enough to fight. In crisis, he reconnects with an elderly uncle he had lost touch with, who is also HIV-positive. The two generations can then talk and share their feelings and wounds.

Roberto Cuzzillo delivers an intimate drama carried by his fine acting duo

Although it offers a path toward peace and light, where we hope throughout that love and the desire to live will ultimately triumph, In Your Arms is not always an easy film. Its slow pace fosters immersion in Matteo’s thoughts; it is highly introspective and probes the distress and anxieties of its main character quite directly. The very good performances and chemistry of Nuno Nolasco / Joele Anastasi give heart and body to this raw, moving drama.

Film produced in 2024 and available on VOD, DVD and on the platform

Other works of fiction with similar themes

• The Spoilsports
• Live, Die, Be Reborn
• Serodiscordant Women