Caravaggio_ Landscape. (Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025)

Full disclosure, I am the person who some years ago needed a euro, in order to have a Caravaggio painting illuminated in a darkened church in Rome, and asked for change from the person seated outside a church, hoping to receive a few coins from worshippers and art lovers alike.

I tell you this, so that you understand I am predisposed to look kindly on anything that sheds light on one of history’s most brilliant, complex and controversial figures. However, it also makes me a harsh critic of anyone who does not treat the subject with the reverence it deserves.

I need not have worried, this dramatic biography of mystery, intrigue, beauty, passion, murder shines a new light on Caravaggio.

Five years in production, Film Caraggio is the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time – Caravaggio. Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before.

Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath 1609-10 (Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025)

Multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles.

Whenever I have seen a work by Caravaggio, something was missing. Maybe the lighting? The chance to step back and fully appreciate the work rather than been jostled by crowds, or perhaps not understanding all of the composition, and sometimes I feel that the experience would be perfect with the right music.

Fear not, the film gets all that right, and more besides.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces are some of art’s most instantly recognisable works. No one else uses his signature blend of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. His incredible paintings have captivated audiences for centuries. But there lies a deeper mystery. One that still beckons us to explore. Religious subjects, bathed in divine light, draw in the viewer, but with the aid of knowledgeable art historians, further layers of understanding are revealed. The dynamic explosions of colour must look incredible on the big screen (I have only seen it on my laptop so far.) and the big screen is where this film should be seen, in the cinema.

The film opts for a slow reveal of the composition of each painting, so the viewer is not distracted by other elements contained in the painting. The blackened feet of some of the subjects draw the eye, reminding the viewer that these are real subjects and that Caravaggio’s use of light reveal the visceral emotions of those depicted.

The music accompanying some of the pictures is Allegri’s Miserere, and if you are not familiar with it, I recommend that you download it immediately. I never want to see another Caravaggio, without this playing in my ears. What do these masterpieces reveal about the man behind the brush? You will have to watch the film to explore the intriguing clues that help us to finally understand the life – and death of this remarkable man.

To get the full effect, one needs to sit in a darkened cinema and revel in Caravaggio’s brilliance.

Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025