Roma elastica (2026)
Director: Bertrand Mandico
Cast: Marion Cotillard, Noémie Merlant, Martina Scrinzi, Agnese Claisse, Isabella Ferrari
Did you know? In "Roma Elastica," the sci-fi film within the film was shot using entirely practical, hand-made effects, including a giant rubber cityscape that gave the movie its title and required a full-time team of sculptors to keep the "elastic" sets from collapsing in the Italian heat.
Why Watch: Forget everything you think you know about meta-cinema: *Roma elastica* is a hypnotic, neon-drenched fever dream that blends 80s sci-fi camp with a raw, soul-baring portrait of a fading star’s final act. Anchored by a breathtakingly vulnerable lead performance and the electric, unspoken tension between actress and makeup artist, this film is a must-watch for fans of arthouse drama and retro-futurist aesthetics. It’s a gorgeous, melancholic trip to Rome that questions where the mask ends and the person begins.
In the sweltering heat of 1982, a fragile French actress named Eddie teeters on the brink of exhaustion. Clinging to her last thread of strength, she journeys to Rome with her steadfast makeup artist, Valentina, by her side. Their mission: to bring a sci-fi movie to life—a project that may very well mark Eddie's final curtain call.