7 WOMEN AND A MURDER on Netflix is a new murder mystery from Italy (org. title: 7 donne e un mistero). It’s a remake of the French 8 Femmes from 2002. An over-the-top comedy full of drama. Read our 7 Women and a Murder movie review here!
7 WOMEN AND A MURDER is a new Netflix movie from Italy (org. title: 7 donne e un mistero). This murder mystery is a remake of the French 8 Femmes from 2002. The story takes place during the 1950s, which you can sense by the outfits and the somewhat stereotypical behavior of the characters.
It even takes place during the Christmas holiday, so you should check it out now, if possible. The cast is fantastic and the movie is very entertaining. Also, the runtime is just 1 hour and 22 minutes, so it’s a quick and fun watch.
Continue reading our 7 Women and a Murder movie review below. Find it on Netflix from December 28, 2022.
A remake of 8 femmes
Just like the original movie 8 femmes, it’s an over-the-top comedy with a brilliant cast and so much drama. Very much character-driven and based on a play, which you can sense in both the 2002 movie from France and this 2022 Italian remake.
We see a lot of remakes and in the case of 7 Women and a Murder, there are 20 years between the two movies. However, you won’t sense this much since both take place during the 1950s. In other words, the setting and outfits are quite similar. Extremely colorful and quite stereotypical, but in ways that work.
The outfits are like something straight out of (pun intended) a movie like Carol.
Amazing chemistry but less sapphic
While both 7 Women and a Murder and the French original adaption of 8 femmes (or 8 Women) are extremely character-driven and rely on the chemistry of their cast members, it does differ in one way. There is still a sapphic (or just homo erotic, if you will) moment between two characters, but it’s nowhere near as intense as in the original.
In the original, the cast consists of Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier, and Firmine Richard. There is fantastic chemistry and it just works brilliantly.
And yet, there is no doubt that the chemistry between Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant was smoking hot. Also, the two actors (both huge stars in their own right) went all in on the chemistry which resulted in a kiss that worked remarkably well. To be fair though, there is a lot of the chemistry in 8 femmes that felt very sapphically charged.
The same goes for 7 Women and a Murder on Netflix. In some very intense ways, actually. However, the actual kiss in 7 Women and a Murder didn’t work nearly as well. The setup and actual moment just felt way too forced. Not at all like the moment from 8 femmes.
And yes, I realize I’m talking a lot about the original, but such is the nature of reviewing a remake. Particularly of a movie that has quite the cult status.
Watch 7 Women and a Murder on Netflix now!
This new Italian adaption on Netflix is directed by Alessandro Genovesi who also co-wrote the script with Lisa Nur Sultan. Right now, Lisa Nur Sultan is also the head writer on the Italian version of Call My Agent (another French hit), so she’s on a roll right now.
The movie is based on the play Huit femmes by Robert Thomas. Alessandro Genovesi previously directed and co-wrote My Big Gay Italian Wedding (2018) which was also based on a play.
In this new Italian remake, the cast is also full of brilliant Italian actors. Margherita Buy, Diana Del Bufalo, Sabrina Impacciatore, Benedetta Porcaroli, Micaela Ramazzotti, Luisa Ranieri, and Ornella Vanoni star in this remake. For international audiences, Sabrina Impacciatore will probably be familiar as she’s in season 2 of The White Lotus.
In that series, Sabrina Impacciatore does actually play a queer character, but she does not in 7 Women and a Murder. Personally, I felt the strongest sapphic energy from Luisa Ranieri who plays Maria the Maid. Maybe that’s because I’ve seen her in uniform before in Bienvenue à bord (2011).
Honestly, not having Luisa Ranieri play the WLW [Woman Loving Woman] part in 7 Women and a Murder feels like a miss. She has the best energy and resembles Fanny Ardant the most in that sense. Oh well, that doesn’t take away from the entertainment value of this new Netflix remake, so do check it out.
7 Women and a Murder is available on Netflix from December 28, 2022.
Womentainment recommendation: Watch this if you enjoy movies with awesome female characters!
Like the original 8 femmes, 7 Women and a Murder on Netflix is a very female-driven movie. The humor is spot-on and so is the drama. For me, 8 femmes is definitely the better and more accomplished version.
In other words, if you love the original, you can enjoy this as well but don’t expect the same level. Also, if you enjoy 7 Women and a Murder, but haven’t watched 8 femmes from 2002 yet, then you have quite a treat in store!
Director: Alessandro Genovesi
Writers: Alessandro Genovesi, Lisa Nur Sultan
Stars: Margherita Buy, Diana Del Bufalo, Sabrina Impacciatore, Benedetta Porcaroli, Micaela Ramazzotti, Luisa Ranieri, Ornella Vanoni
Official plot:
When their family patriarch is stabbed, seven women, each with ulterior motives, become trapped together in a mansion to solve the puzzle of his murder.
