On Netflix, Nonnas stands out as one of the platform’s most comforting feel-good titles – a warm, food-centered comedy-drama mixing grief, humor and the emotional pull of home cooking. The film works as a gentle antidote to heavier stories, delivering a cinematic embrace through its celebration of family, memory and the joyful chaos of a kitchen led entirely by grandmothers.
Inspired by a true story, Nonnas taps into something universal: the longing for connection, the comfort of shared meals and the quiet, often overlooked wisdom of older generations. Since its arrival on Netflix US, the film has climbed the platform’s internal rankings and even reached the number one spot in the country, confirming that audiences are embracing its warm, multigenerational appeal. Here is everything to know about Nonnas — from its themes and performances to its real-life inspiration and Netflix release details.
What Nonnas is about
Nonnas follows Joe Scaravella, a Staten Island man struggling to rebuild his life after the loss of his mother and grandmother. Searching for purpose, he takes an unexpected leap and opens a restaurant named after his mother, hoping it will anchor him during his grief. Instead of hiring professional chefs, he recruits a group of Italian and Italian-American grandmothers – nonnas with deep roots in regional cuisine, family stories and immigrant memory – to cook in his kitchen.
That decision transforms both the restaurant and Joe’s life. Set amid New York’s tight-knit Italian-American enclaves, the film blends humor, emotion and rich culinary tradition. Scenes steeped in homemade Sunday gravy, handwritten recipes and intergenerational storytelling create a narrative that feels lived-in and deeply human. The movie’s heart lies in the way these women shape the world around them: through food, through conversation, through resilience and through the timeless comfort of a grandmother’s kitchen.
Cast, performances and creative team
Vince Vaughn anchors the film as Joe Scaravella, delivering a tender performance shaped by vulnerability rather than broad comedy. His portrayal captures a man weighed by grief but open to rediscovering purpose through community and tradition.
The nonnas provide the film’s emotional core. Susan Sarandon stands out with a performance marked by wisdom, warmth and strength, playing a grandmother whose presence in the kitchen is both commanding and deeply nurturing. Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Brenda Vaccaro bring vivid, distinct personalities to their roles; together they create the film’s most joyful and affecting moments, from kitchen rivalries to quiet, intimate conversations about loss and survival.
Joe Manganiello plays Bruno, Joe’s loyal best friend, adding humor and heart as he pushes Joe to take risks and to believe in the restaurant’s unconventional concept. Linda Cardellini and other supporting players round out the ensemble with grounded, lived-in performances that make the community around the restaurant feel real.
Behind the camera, Stephen Chbosky directs from a script by Liz Maccie. Chbosky, known to streaming audiences for films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Wonder, leans into sincerity rather than cynicism, letting small gestures, shared meals and close-up performances carry the emotional weight. Maccie’s script keeps the stakes intimate and character-driven, balancing comforting familiarity with sharp, specific detail drawn from the real Enoteca Maria story.
Reactions, reception and chart performance
Nonnas entered Netflix’s catalogue with strong interest, helped by its true-story hook and starry cast. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a solid approval rating from critics, who praise its charm, heart and focus on older women as full, complex characters rather than background figures. Reviews highlight its “straightforward sincerity” and the way it uses comfort-food aesthetics to explore grief, identity and second chances.
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Crucially for streaming visibility, Nonnas quickly rose through the Netflix US Top 10 and reached number one shortly after its release, boosted by word of mouth and its Mother’s Day weekend launch. For viewers scanning the homepage for something uplifting, the film has become an easy recommendation: a feel-good watch that still has emotional depth.
Is Nonnas based on a true story?
Yes. The film is inspired by the life of Joe (Jody) Scaravella and his Staten Island restaurant, Enoteca Maria. After losing his mother and grandmother, Scaravella used his grief and his inheritance to open a small restaurant that would honor them both. His idea was simple but radical: invite grandmothers to cook their own family dishes in the restaurant kitchen, turning the space into a living archive of recipes, memories and migrant histories.
Enoteca Maria became known for its rotating roster of nonnas, each representing different regions, and later different countries, through their cooking. Nonnas fictionalizes and dramatizes this story, but its emotional spine — grief transformed into community through food — remains faithful to Scaravella’s experience.
Behind the scenes and production notes
Nonnas is a co-production of Fifth Season, 1Community, Madison Wells and Matador Content, with Netflix acquiring worldwide distribution rights in 2024. The film was shot primarily in New Jersey, standing in for Staten Island and New York City, with locations including Jersey City, Hoboken, Paterson and other surrounding towns used to recreate the restaurant’s neighborhood feel.
The production design leans into intimacy rather than spectacle. The restaurant set is compact and crowded, with details like family photos, religious icons and scribbled recipe notes reinforcing the idea that this is a space built on memory as much as on business. Food styling plays a major role: slow pans over simmering sauces, heaped serving dishes and flour-dusted hands all contribute to a sensory, almost tactile atmosphere.
Off screen, the film’s creative team drew directly from real recipes and stories connected to Enoteca Maria. Cast members have spoken about bringing their own family food memories into the process, further blurring the line between fiction and lived experience.
Why Nonnas is worth adding to your Netflix watchlist
Nonnas is a rare feel-good film that manages to be comforting without feeling hollow. It treats grief seriously while still offering viewers the warmth and satisfaction they expect from a food movie. The spotlight on older women — their labor, their humor, their authority in the kitchen and at the table — gives it a refreshing, quietly radical energy within Netflix’s broader catalogue.
If you gravitate toward emotionally satisfying ensemble stories like Julie & Julia, The Farewell, The Intern or Big Night, this Netflix drama-comedy belongs on your watchlist. It is ideal for a family movie night, a cozy solo streaming session, or any time you want to be reminded that recipes and rituals can hold entire histories.
Nonnas release date and where to watch
Nonnas was released on Netflix on May 9, 2025, timed to Mother’s Day weekend in the United States. The strategic date helped fuel its strong debut and its climb to the top of the Netflix US film chart. Watch on Netflix: Nonnas on Netflix
Nonnas: All the key details
- Title: Nonnas
- Format: Film
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Genre: Feel-good biographical comedy-drama
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Director: Stephen Chbosky
- Writer: Liz Maccie
- Main cast: Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini
- Based on: The true story of Joe Scaravella and his restaurant Enoteca Maria
- Streaming in the USA: Netflix
- Netflix US release date: May 9, 2025
