In the Hand of Dante
Based on In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches
Drama
Crime
Now Streaming (Netflix)
Director: Julian Schnabel
Premiered: Venice International Film Festival, September 2025
Theatrical Release: June 12, 2026 (Limited)
Streaming: Netflix, June 24, 2026
The Cast
Oscar Isaac
Nick Tosches / Dante Alighieri
Gal Gadot
Giulietta / Gemma Donati
Gerard Butler
Louie / Pope Boniface VIII
Martin Scorsese
Isaiah, Alighieri's mentor
What the Critics Are Saying
Reviews have been sharply divided. Deadline's Pete Hammond called the screenplay "unpredictable, if uneven" and said the film "bites off possibly more than it can chew," while still praising Schnabel for taking a big swing. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave it 3 out of 5 stars, singling out Gerard Butler's performance, though he felt the back third of the film loses steam. Critics have largely agreed on one thing: this is an ambitious, sprawling adaptation that doesn't play it safe.
Our Take
Nick Tosches built his reputation on refusing to play it safe, and In the Hand of Dante — his 2002 novel weaving a stolen Vatican manuscript, a New York mob boss, and Tosches' own fictionalized self into one sprawling narrative — is no exception. Julian Schnabel's adaptation matches that ambition with an enormous ensemble cast spanning Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, and Al Pacino, and a dual storyline that jumps between modern-day New York and Dante Alighieri's own time. The result has split critics right down the middle: some see a bold, big-swing adaptation of a notoriously unadaptable book; others see a film that never quite settles on what it wants to be. Either way, it's the kind of adaptation that's worth forming your own opinion on — especially now that it's just a click away on Netflix.
