The Tearsmith

The 2024 Italian teen romance film, directed by Alessandro Genovesi, is based on Erin Doom's novel of the same name. The story picks up with Nica at eight years old, orphaned when a car accident kills her parents. The oppressive Sunnycreek Orphanage takes her in, and there she makes a friend, a girl called Adeline. Years later, as a teenager, Nica is adopted by Anna and Norman Milligan along with Rigel, a moody teenager favored by the headmistress, Margaret. In their new home, Rigel is hostile toward Nica. Flashbacks reveal that at Sunnycreek, all children except Rigel were subjected to physical and emotional abuse by Margaret. At school, Nica receives a black rose, symbolizing tormented and obsessive love, but Rigel denies involvement. Classmate Lionel asks Nica out, leading to a fight between him and Rigel. Gradually, romantic feelings develop between Nica and Rigel, but their relationship is complicated by past traumas and internal conflicts. The film was released on Netflix on April 4, 2024.