On January 6, streaming platform Netflix released the Icelandic remake of the Italian film, Perfect Strangers. A Danish version is expected later in 2023. The film already exists in Chinese, Korean, Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Mexican, French, Armenian, Russian, and Hungarian, among 24 languages, making the 2016 blockbuster one of the most remade films in recent times. Globally, the productions have generated $30 million. A 2018 Kannada remake, titled Loudspeaker, was directed by Shiva Tejass and starred HG Dattatreya, Vijay Eshwar and Disha Dinakar, among others. So, what makes Perfect Strangers such a global phenomenon? Universal story The original comedy-drama film, directed by Paolo Genovese and called Perfetti Sconosciuti, revolves around seven people who have been close friends since childhood. Around a dinner table with their partners one regular evening, they decide to play a game with their cellphones. They plan to share all their text messages, emails, phone calls and social media activity with the rest of the group as a way to strengthen their bond. What happens next is that “secrets are unveiled. Harmony trembles”. Every time anybody’s phone pings or rings, houseful audiences across countries hold their breaths, because doesn’t everybody have a hidden side and a deep fear of it being found out? Acclaimed by critics Perfetti Sconosciuti opened to critical acclaim. Its dark subject was presented with humour and strong performances. The film tapped into people’s conflicts about the power of the internet and the dangers of oversharing on social media. Themes of honesty and the strength of relationships added an immediate relevance to the storyline. It was the highest-grossing Italian film of 2016. Among the many awards won by the film was the Best Film award at the David di Donatello Awards, the Best Film (Audience Award) at the Norwegian International Film Festival and the Best Screenplay (International Narrative Competition) at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film was also nominated for best screenplay, sound, actor, actress, director and editing at the David di Donatello Awards in 2016. Fit for adaption Perfetti Sconosciuti has tapped into the social moorings in many countries, though some critics have pointed out that certain key themes and messages were lost in several remakes due to cultural differences. The titles of major remakes provide a hint to how different filmmakers have approached the subject. It is called Stranger in my Pocket in Turkey, Nothing to Hide in France, Kill Mobile in China, Intimate Strangers in South Korea, Unknown Subscriber in Armenia and Perfect Secret in Germany. The titles, without translation, are Buek in the Hungarian version, Gromkaya Sayaz in Russian, (Nie)znajomi in Polish and Otona no Jijou: Smartphone wo Nozoitara in Japanese. Indian remake Loudspeaker appeared in 2018 and was motivated by director Shiva Tejas’ concerns about the wide spread of social media in modern life. The major roles were played by newcomers and the script was tweaked to suit the Indian context. Dialogue writer Vijay Eshwar was praised for maintaining a sense of humour throughout the film.
