Italian Studies

Italian Studies

Year: 2022

Runtime: 81 min

Language: English

Director: Adam Leon

Drama

Writer Alina Reynolds experiences memory loss while living in New York City, leaving her feeling lost and adrift. As she struggles to piece together her identity, she encounters Simon and his group of artists, who offer her a connection to the vibrant city life. Together, they explore the beauty and chaos of New York, navigating fragmented thoughts, imagined conversations, and the search for belonging.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Italian Studies (2022) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Italian Studies (2022), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Opening with the protagonist attending a vibrant party with her partner in the heart of NYC, we swiftly transition to a stark daytime scene. Here, she encounters a young girl who offers her a cigarette, yet the protagonist struggles to remember their connection.

On what seems like an ordinary day, she finds herself in a hardware store, leaving her dog tied up outside. Upon exiting, a sudden wave of disorientation washes over her, erasing her memory of everything. Consequently, she begins to roam the city, her sense of direction lost and time unclear.

As she stumbles upon some familiar steps, she pauses, recalling past interactions with a group of young people. With every stride through the bustling streets, her memories continue to elude her grasp. At a diner, she converses with a teenager, revealing her uncertainty about even the most fundamental details of her life, including her dietary choices, which she speculates might be vegetarian.

In this exchange, she expresses her confusion about her identity, sharing an embarrassing moment at a corner shop where she runs into trouble over her inability to pay. Later, in another shop, desperation drives her to grab items and flee.

Arriving at a small hotel, she approaches the receptionist, attempting to retrieve her key for room 234. However, her inability to provide any identification leads to disappointment. Outside, she finds a secluded spot to relieve herself and eventually curls up for sleep in a stairwell.

A chance encounter occurs when a woman approaches, inquiring if she is the author Alina Reynolds, noted for her work “Italian Studies.” The woman reminisces about attending a reading two years prior, describing the book as a collection of coming-of-age tales. This revelation sparks a glimmer of recognition, urging Alina to locate her book in the library.

As she reads a chapter, she stumbles upon a mention of room 234, prompting a faint smile as she borrows a pen to sign the book. A man reprimands her for defacing it, only to apologize upon realizing she is the author.

Delving into the chapter titled Lucinda, more fragments of Alina’s memory resurface, revealing that the interviews she conducted were with a younger version of herself. The teen from the diner, Simon, shares a poignant story about his first love.

Throughout this journey, various teens narrate their perspectives and memorable anecdotes. At a fast-food restaurant, the older version of Alina had recounted her plans for a novel based on their stories, leading the teens to pool their resources to help her cover her bill after she admits to being short on cash.

As Alina attends another lively party filled with youth, she finds it challenging to connect with them as she once did, facing open hostility instead. In a moment of vulnerability with Simon, she acknowledges that they are both “broken,” leading to a fleeting kiss before he departs.

The narrative shifts to a serene beach scene, where Alina catches up with Lucinda. During their conversation, she suddenly realizes her little white dog is missing. Panic sets in as she rushes back to the city, retracing her steps to the hardware store to find her beloved pet.

In the present, the girl who once offered Alina a cigarette recommends reaching out to Simon, now a college student. Hesitating, Alina expresses her fear that doing so might taint her nostalgic memories, hinting at past mental struggles that she believes her husband now fears might resurface.

As Alina and her husband journey back home, the scene is filled with reflections of the key interviewees from her past explorations.

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 02:06

Ending Explained – What Happens at the End of Italian Studies?

Still wondering what the ending of Italian Studies (2022) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.

Alina’s journey in the film is a disorienting and ambiguous experience that blurs the lines between reality, memory, and imagination. Throughout the story, she appears to suffer from sudden memory loss, unable to recall her identity or her past, which is depicted as both a literal and metaphorical disappearance. Her time in New York—meeting Simon and the teenagers, reflecting on her own stories—could be a real experience, a constructed hallucination, or a mixture of both. The film suggests that her memories and experiences may be fluid, unreliable, and perhaps even self-created to serve some deeper purpose—possibly her writing or her subconscious desire for detachment from her past.

At the end, Alina is back in London and appears to have regained a sense of her self and her memories. She recalls her encounters with the teenagers and, though she struggles to find concrete evidence that her experiences in New York were real, she ultimately chooses to accept the uncertainty. She expresses a desire to leave certain things unresolved, preferring to live in the present rather than chase a possibly lost past. Her refusal to reconnect with Simon or clarify her history suggests she has found some peace in acknowledging her fragmented memory and embracing the now.

The film’s ending maintains its ambiguity, leaving open the question of whether her memories were restored or simply reimagined. It hints that her feelings of loss, confusion, and the urge to reconstruct her identity are universal, reflecting how human memory itself can be fleeting, elusive, and sometimes a story we tell ourselves. Ultimately, Italian Studies explores the fragile nature of identity and memory, emphasizing that sometimes the things we hold onto—or choose to let go—are what shape who we are in the present.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:59

Unlock the Full Story of Italian Studies

Don't stop at just watching — explore Italian Studies in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Italian Studies is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Italian Studies Timeline

Track the full timeline of Italian Studies with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Italian Studies Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Italian Studies

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Italian Studies. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Italian Studies

Italian Studies Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Italian Studies? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Italian Studies Ending Explained

More About Italian Studies

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Italian Studies: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Italian Studies

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