“You gonna be the Italy Get Out!”

Story: “Professional house-sitter” and CINY dropout Anna has had her latest gig canceled on her. So, with no place to go, she hits a hotel bar and meets Matteo, an equally free spirit…with an empty villa in Tuscany just lying around doing nothing. Anna has a ticket to Tuscany, thanks to plans made by her recently deceased mom. Why not visit Tuscany? It’s not like she’ll meet Matteo’s family and fall in love with Tuscany (and his adopted brother Michael). Or will she do just that?

Genre I’d put it in: Sweet Travel Rom-coms
Release Date: 2026
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Original, with hints of While You Were Sleeping and Under the Tuscan Sun.

Gotta say: Tuscany is exactly what you think it’s gonna be, and exactly what I needed. The pairing of Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page, and gorgeous Tuscan locations soothed this savage beast. If you too are suffering from all the *waves hands around despondently* that’s been going on of late? Please let this film take you away from all that, and into a lovely fairy tale.

First off, I loved director Kat Coiro’s Girl’s Trip. Coiro has a way of portraying the female experience that sucks you into the story immediately, and it works to great effect here. Writer Ryan Engle doesn’t craft anyting we haven’t enjoyed before, but the gorgeous location, talented cast, and chemistry of the two leads turns this particular boilerplate into something fresh and fun.

Speaking of the cast, Michael/Matteo’s family is a wonderful ensemble of characters that blend into a cohesive, believable family. Shout-out to Stella Pecollo as Francesca, the daughter of the bunch, and a lady who’s both sassy and sweet. Sure, the sassy gal is a trope, but Pecollo brings emotional depth to the character that’s impressive, as she doesn’t get a whole lot of time onscreen. Paolo Sassanelli’s boisterous taxi driver Vincenzo serves as Anna’s Tuscan BFF, and lightens the emotional chaos with his whimsy. These two keep the vibe light and fun, with nary a sturm nor drang to be seen. Hell, even the subplot with Matteo’s ex Isabella is kind of adorable.

Danny Ruhlmann’s cinematography is stunning, but when you’ve got all that Tuscan beauty at your fingertips? It’s kinda hard not to have breathtaking shots. (That said, I’d probably mess it up spectacularly, so please understand Ruhlmann does an incredible job here.) The costuming is a nice balance of timeless and stylish, but y’all? Y’ALL. The jewelry. Yes, Italy is known for it’s gold, but Bailey get to wear some pieces that are simply stunning. What can I say; I’m a sucker for a rolo link. Set design is spectacular as well, particularly the food styling that sees Eat, Pray, Love and says hold my beer.

Tuscany plays out exactly as you’d expect it would, yet I still enjoyed every beat. My Baltimore folks? Head up to the Towson Cinemark and splurge for the balcony seating for this one. Because you’re gonna want to dig into some charcuterie and wine while watching. I yearned for just that, during my screening. Because I would never tell you to smuggle stuff into a theater. Nope. Not me. Go on about your business. Just know that if you’re needing a vacation from real life? Tuscany has got you.

#Protip: If you’re longing to visit some Tuscan vineyards after this film? Yeah, A Charming Escape already researched lots of great starting points. Mmm, that’d be nice, y’all.