The Story of There's Still Tomorrow: A Woman's Quiet Rebellion
There's Still Tomorrow follows Delia, a working-class woman in 1940s Rome who's trapped in a loveless, abusive marriage to the brutish Ivano. She shares a cramped household with their three children and her ailing father-in-law—a daily grind of domestic servitude with no escape in sight. Love departed their marriage long ago, replaced by resentment and control. Then a mysterious letter arrives. It's a small thing, really. A piece of paper. But it becomes the catalyst for something Delia thought she'd lost forever: the belief that her life could be different. What unfolds is her gradual, sometimes stumbling journey toward reclaiming agency in a society designed to keep women like her invisible and obedient.
Director Paola Cortellesi doesn't make this a straightforward victory narrative. Instead, she crafts something messier, funnier, and ultimately more human—a film that finds comedy in desperation and hope in the smallest acts of defiance. The black-and-white cinematography lends the story a timeless quality, echoing the neorealist classics of De Sica and Rossellini, yet Cortellesi's sensibility is distinctly her own.
Behind the Making of There's Still Tomorrow: Awards, Cast, and Production
There's Still Tomorrow marks Paola Cortellesi's directorial debut, and it's a stunning arrival. She also stars as Delia, carrying the film with a performance that moves between quiet resignation and building determination. The supporting cast—including Valerio Mastandrea as Ivano, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Emanuela Fanelli, and Giorgio Colangeli—creates a lived-in world where every character feels rooted in their historical moment and their own struggles.
Produced by Wildside and Vision Distribution, the film was shot entirely in black-and-white, a choice that strips away distraction and forces viewers to focus on faces, gestures, and the emotional texture of each scene. This aesthetic decision alone signals that Cortellesi wasn't interested in making a conventional period piece. She wanted something that felt both intimate and mythic.
The film's critical and industry recognition has been substantial. There's Still Tomorrow earned 28 wins and 27 nominations across major awards circuits, cementing its status as one of 2023's most celebrated international films. It holds an 89% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 7.7/10 on IMDb from nearly 18,000 votes, and a Metascore of 59. These numbers tell you something important: critics and audiences largely agreed this was a significant work. The film's box office performance—$180,426—reflects its limited theatrical release, but its trajectory on streaming has been far more expansive, reaching audiences globally through major OTT services.
What Makes There's Still Tomorrow Stand Out: Performance and Historical Craft
What's striking about There's Still Tomorrow is how it refuses to be just one thing. It's a drama about domestic abuse and female empowerment, yes—but it's also funny. Cortellesi finds dark humor in the absurdity of Ivano's domineering behavior, the way Delia's neighbors gossip, the small rebellions women orchestrate in the margins of their lives. This tonal balance is genuinely difficult to pull off, and when it works, it works beautifully. When it doesn't quite land, you notice it. Some critics felt the film's mixture of comedy and serious subject matter occasionally blurred its message, but that's partly the point: real life doesn't separate the tragic from the comic into neat compartments.
Cortellesi's performance is the emotional anchor. She doesn't play Delia as a saint or a revolutionary. Delia's a woman worn down by years of compromise, someone who's internalized the belief that her desires don't matter. What makes the performance powerful is watching her slowly, almost imperceptibly, begin to question that belief. There's a scene where she's in a garage, talking to a man who seems to see her as a person rather than an obstacle—and you can feel something shift in her posture, her voice. It's subtle work, the kind that doesn't announce itself but stays with you.
The film's historical setting—postwar Rome—isn't just backdrop. Italy in the 1940s was a nation rebuilding, but for women, the social structures remained stubbornly rigid. Cortellesi uses this context to show how Delia's struggle is both deeply personal and historically specific. She's not just fighting her husband; she's fighting an entire system that tells her this is her lot, that she should be grateful for it.
How to Stream There's Still Tomorrow Online
There's Still Tomorrow is currently available on major OTT services, and you can check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page to see which platform has it in your region right now. Streaming availability changes regularly, so Movie OTT keeps an up-to-date tracker of where this film and thousands of others are currently available. Whether you're on Netflix, Prime Video, or another major service, there's a good chance you'll find it waiting for you. The film's 118-minute runtime makes it a solid evening commitment—not too long, but substantial enough that you'll feel like you've spent real time in Delia's world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who directed There's Still Tomorrow?
Paola Cortellesi directed and co-wrote the film in her feature directorial debut. She also stars as the lead character, Delia, making this a deeply personal project that earned her widespread critical acclaim.
Q: Is There's Still Tomorrow based on a true story?
While not based on a specific true story, the film is rooted in the historical reality of postwar Italy and the experiences of working-class women navigating rigid social structures and abusive relationships during that era.
Q: Why was There's Still Tomorrow shot in black-and-white?
The black-and-white cinematography was a deliberate artistic choice that evokes classic Italian neorealist cinema while creating an intimate, timeless quality that strips away distraction and focuses viewer attention on performance and emotion.
Q: What's the runtime of There's Still Tomorrow?
The film runs 118 minutes, giving viewers enough time to fully immerse themselves in Delia's journey and the world Cortellesi has constructed around her.
Q: How was There's Still Tomorrow received by critics?
The film earned an 89% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 7.7/10 on IMDb, and won 28 awards with 27 nominations. It was widely recognized as one of 2023's most significant international films, particularly praised for Cortellesi's directorial vision and her performance.
Final Thoughts on There's Still Tomorrow
There's Still Tomorrow is the kind of film that doesn't announce its importance. It simply sits with you, asking quiet questions about courage, desire, and what it means to claim your own life back. Cortellesi's directorial debut proves she understands how to balance intimacy with history, comedy with heartbreak. If you're looking for something that feels both rooted in a specific time and place and somehow universal—a film about a woman in 1940s Rome that speaks to anyone who's ever felt trapped—this is it. Don't sleep on it.
