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My Summer with the Shark (2023) movie poster

Characters & Themes

My Summer with the Shark (2023) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 104 mins · Italian
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Directed by
Davide Gentile
Starring
Edoardo Pesce, Alberto Testone, Claudio Santamaria, Virginia Raffaele, Roberto Fazioli, Matteo Scattaretico

School’s out and 13‑year‑old Walter, still grieving his father’s death, wanders the Roman coast. He discovers an abandoned villa with a massive, murky swimming pool that captures his attention. Yet the villa is not as deserted as it appears, suggesting hidden secrets lie within.

On this page (9)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Character relationship map
  4. 4 Where & when it takes place
  5. 5 Themes & meaning (2)
  6. 6 Character & meaning questions
  7. 7 Movie threads
  8. 8 Movies like My Summer with the Shark
  9. 9 Every angle
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4 main characters · contains spoilers

My Summer with the Shark Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of My Summer with the Shark (2023), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Walter

    A 13-year-old boy mourning his father's death, Walter is curious, brave, and impulsive. His journey from innocence to a sense of responsibility is driven by his interactions with Carlo and his desire to protect the shark and himself.

    • 🧒 Innocent
    • 🤔 Curious
    • 💪 Brave
  • Carlo

    An older boy who acts as the caretaker of the villa and becomes Walter’s friend. Carlo is resourceful and initially complicit in danger but shows moral growth and loyalty as he later helps free the shark.

    • 🧑🏻‍🦱 Loyal
    • 🔧 Resourceful
    • 🌊 Sensitive
  • Corsaro

    A powerful gangster who keeps the shark as a symbol of his dominance. Corsaro is authoritative and intimidating, but his arrival at the right moment signifies protection and respect for Walter’s courage.

    • 🕶️ Authoritative
    • 🚢 Power-hungry
    • 💣 Menacing
  • Rita

    Walter’s mother, who is concerned and protective. Her reactions highlight the struggles and emotional turmoil of a parent coping with loss and her son’s rebelliousness.

    • 👩‍🦳 Protective
    • 💔 Worried
    • ❤️ Loving

Last updated: October 21, 2026 at 18:12

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5 characters · 6 connections · contains spoilers

My Summer with the Shark Character Relationship Map

Who is connected to whom in My Summer with the Shark: family, love, friendships, rivalries and hidden ties, colour-coded. Pick a character to see their side of the story, or a connection to see what brings two characters together.

How much of the story to show
WWalterCCarloCCorsaroRRitaTTecno

Last updated: October 21, 2026 at 18:12

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Setting

Where and When Does My Summer with the Shark Take Place?

The setting of My Summer with the Shark (2023): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Summer

The movie takes place during a warm summer, a period often associated with youth, freedom, and change. It highlights a specific season where the protagonist experiences pivotal events, including discovering himself and confronting themes of captivity and liberation.

Location

Roman coast, Villa with a grand swimming pool

The story is set along the Roman coast, known for its scenic beaches and historical significance. The villa, with its grand swimming pool, serves as a secluded hideout for gang activities and is a central location in the film. It reflects a contrast between the natural beauty of the coast and the darker elements of crime and power.

  • 🏖️ Coastal
  • 🏝️ Hidden retreat

Last updated: October 21, 2026 at 18:12

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2 major themes

My Summer with the Shark Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is My Summer with the Shark (2023) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Freedom

    A major theme in the film is freedom, exemplified by the shark's captivity versus its eventual release. The story explores the desire for liberation from constraints, whether physical, emotional, or societal, as shown through Walter's growth and his efforts to free the shark.

  • Friendship

    The evolving friendship between Walter and Carlo underscores themes of loyalty, trust, and coming of age. Their bond is central to the narrative, illustrating how friendship can influence moral choices and personal development during challenging times.

Last updated: October 21, 2026 at 18:12

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Character & theme questions

My Summer with the Shark Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about My Summer with the Shark (2023): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the story set?

The movie takes place along the Roman coast, known for its scenic beaches and historical significance. A key location is an abandoned villa with a grand swimming pool that serves as a secluded hideout for gang activities, creating a contrast between the coast's natural beauty and the darker world of crime.

  • roman coast
  • villa
  • setting
  • location
  • swimming pool
Q2

When does the movie take place?

The story unfolds during summer, a season often associated with youth, freedom, and change. This warm period coincides with Walter's journey of self-discovery as he experiences pivotal events including discovering himself and confronting themes of captivity and liberation.

  • summer
  • season
  • time period
  • summer setting
Q3

What is the main theme of freedom in the movie?

Freedom is a central theme, exemplified by the shark's captivity and eventual release. The story explores the desire for liberation from physical, emotional, and societal constraints, shown through Walter's personal growth and his efforts to free both the shark and himself from the circumstances holding them captive.

  • freedom
  • captivity
  • liberation
  • shark
  • theme
Q4

What role does friendship play in the story?

The evolving friendship between Walter and Carlo is central to the narrative. Their bond illustrates themes of loyalty, trust, and coming of age, showing how friendship influences moral choices and personal development during challenging circumstances.

  • friendship
  • walter
  • carlo
  • loyalty
  • trust
  • coming of age
Q5

What does the shark represent in the movie?

The shark kept in the villa's pool serves as a symbol of dominance for the gangster Corsaro and represents captivity versus freedom. Its release by Walter becomes a powerful symbol of liberation and personal growth, mirroring Walter's own journey from grief to finding strength and compassion.

  • shark
  • symbol
  • captivity
  • freedom
  • corsaro
Q6

Who is the main character Walter?

Walter is a 13-year-old boy still grieving his father's death. He is curious, brave, and impulsive. His journey takes him from innocence to a sense of responsibility as he interacts with Carlo and becomes determined to protect the shark, ultimately finding his own strength in the process.

  • walter
  • protagonist
  • 13 year old
  • grief
  • father death
Q7

Who is Carlo and what is his role?

Carlo is an older boy who serves as the caretaker of the villa and becomes Walter's friend. He is resourceful and initially complicit in the dangerous activities there, but he demonstrates moral growth and loyalty by helping Walter free the shark, representing redemption through friendship.

  • carlo
  • caretaker
  • villa
  • friend
  • moral growth
Q8

Who is the gangster Corsaro?

Corsaro is a powerful gangster who keeps the shark as a symbol of his dominance and control. He is authoritative and intimidating, yet his arrival at a crucial moment signifies a form of protection and respect for Walter's courage, adding complexity to the story's power dynamics.

  • corsaro
  • gangster
  • shark
  • dominance
  • villain
Q9

Who is Rita in the story?

Rita is Walter's mother, who is concerned and protective of her son. Her reactions throughout the story highlight the emotional struggles of a parent coping with loss while dealing with her son's rebellious behavior and dangerous involvement with the gang.

  • rita
  • mother
  • parent
  • concern
  • family
Q10

What is the significance of the villa?

The abandoned villa with its grand swimming pool serves as the story's central location, a seemingly deserted retreat that actually hides criminal activities. It represents a hidden world where dark elements coexist with the scenic beauty of the Roman coast, acting as a microcosm of the story's themes of hidden truths and liberation.

  • villa
  • swimming pool
  • hideout
  • gang
  • central location

Movie threads

More Movies Like My Summer with the Shark, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes My Summer with the Shark tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Bittersweet Healing Journeys for the Young like in My Summer with the Shark

Young protagonists navigate grief and danger to find a fragile sense of peace. Discover movies like My Summer with the Shark, where young protagonists face grief and danger on a path to healing. If you enjoyed the blend of somber reflection and courageous acts in a coming-of-age story, this collection features similar emotionally resonant dramas with bittersweet conclusions.

  • grieving
  • contemplative
  • courageous
  • somber
  • healing
  • reckless
  • Tone: bittersweet, contemplative
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a young person, often isolated by grief, who is drawn into a dangerous or unusual situation that mirrors their internal struggle. Through a series of contemplative and reckless acts, they confront their pain, leading to a climactic moment of release or rebellion that symbolizes the beginning of their emotional healing, though not without scars.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on a young person's emotional journey from loss toward a complex, hopeful-but-sad resolution. They balance a somber, contemplative mood with moments of danger, creating a specific bittersweet tone that resonates with the process of growing up under difficult circumstances.

Somber Criminal Entanglements like in My Summer with the Shark

Ordinary individuals are drawn into dangerous criminal circles, changing them forever. Find movies similar to My Summer with the Shark, where a lonely character stumbles into a criminal underworld. If you liked the tension between a contemplative mood and the threat of violence, these stories explore the dangerous friendships and moral compromises of crossing into a forbidden world.

  • dangerous
  • somber
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • forbidden
  • clandestine
  • Tone: somber, tense
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative begins with a discovery that leads an ordinary person into a secretive, criminal world. The protagonist forms a dangerous friendship or alliance, becoming increasingly complicit. The story builds steadily toward a confrontation that forces a choice, resulting in a conclusion that severs the connection but leaves the protagonist marked by the experience.

Why they belong together: These films share a specific vibe: a steady-paced, character-focused exploration of the allure and peril of crime. They combine a contemplative, often lonely mood with the tension of criminal activity, creating a unique blend of internal drama and external threat that defines the viewing experience.

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Every angle

My Summer with the Shark (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about My Summer with the Shark in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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