Nonnas (2025)
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12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A grieving man attempts to honor his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant staffed by grandmothers.
The story
Following the death of his mother, MTA mechanic Joe Scaravella struggles to recreate her signature dishes, specifically her 'Sunday gravy.' Encouraged by his best friend Bruno and his wife Stella, Joe visits a familiar market on Staten Island where he reconnects with his high school crush, Olivia. Inspired by a closed restaurant, Joe decides to reopen it as 'Enoteca Maria.' He envisions a unique concept where the kitchen is staffed by 'nonnas' (grandmothers) to evoke childhood memories for the customers. Despite local resistance, Joe begins the restoration of the space and hires a group of grandmothers, including his mother's best friend, to form the core kitchen staff.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his mother's death, Joe Scaravella seeks to honor her by opening Enoteca Maria on Staten Island. He hires several grandmothers—Roberta, Antonella, Gia, and Teresa—who initially clash due to their different backgrounds but eventually bond. During preparations, a kitchen fire caused by Roberta leads to a failed inspection and a falling out between Joe and his friend Bruno. However, Joe reconciles with Bruno after learning of his sacrifices, and Olivia helps secure a new inspection. Despite a disastrous opening night caused by a storm and a local rumor, Joe eventually finds his mother's secret recipes in a hidden envelope, including the elusive 'Sunday gravy.' He hosts a final dinner party where an anonymous guest—actually a critic for Edward Durant—writes a glowing review. The restaurant becomes a success, allowing Joe to buy back Bruno's car and start a relationship with Olivia. The film concludes with real-life footage of the actual Enoteca Maria restaurant.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stephen Chbosky
- Writers
- Liz Maccie · writer
- Genres
- biographical; comedy-drama
- Themes
- grief; tradition; connection to the past
- Tone and mood
- sincere
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; cooking; Italian-American culture
- Source material / true-story basis
- the life of Joe Scaravella
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews and was a success on Netflix during its release week.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Production trivia
- The film was released during Mother's Day weekend in the United States.; The film was shot in various locations in New Jersey.; The film was acquired by Netflix for over $20 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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