In the fall of 2022, social media was flooded with discussions, fan art, and deeply analytical essays about a classic 1973 Martin Scorsese mafia film called Goncharov. Dedicated fans debated the intense homoerotic undertones between Robert De Niro’s titular character and Harvey Keitel’s Andrey, while others obsessed over the iconic performance of John Cazale as “Ice Pick Joe.” There was only one problem: Goncharov did not exist.
The Origin in a Pair of Knockoff Boots
The genesis of this elaborate internet hallucination traces back several years prior to 2022 when a Tumblr user posted a photo of a strange tag found on a pair of knockoff boots. Instead of a brand name, the label read: “A film by Matteo JWHJ0715 about the Naples mafia,” followed by the credit “presented by Martin Scorsese,” and the tagline “the greatest mafia movie ever made.” In August 2020, another Tumblr user jokingly replied, “this idiot hasn’t seen goncharov.” That simple sarcastic reblog planted the seed for a cinematic phenomenon.
Internet sleuths eventually deduced that the bizarre boot tag was likely a mangled, bootleg poster for the actual 2008 Italian crime film Gomorrah, which was directed by Matteo Garrone and actually presented by Scorsese.
The Viral Explosion of 1973’s Lost Masterpiece
The joke sat dormant until November 18, 2022, when Prague-based artist Alex Korotchuk designed and uploaded an incredibly detailed poster for the nonexistent film. The poster provided the creative spark the internet needed, establishing a star-studded cast that included De Niro, Keitel, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Cybill Shepherd, and Sophia Loren.
Immediately, the Tumblr community launched into an unprecedented experiment in collective storytelling. Users adopted a “yes, and…” improvisational approach, rapidly generating a complex narrative for the “lost film.” Goncharov was established as a Russian hitman operating in Naples following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The community churned out hundreds of fan fiction stories, composed original theme music with over thirty collaborators, and organized video game jams based on fictional movie tie-ins. The film even received user reviews on the popular film platform Letterboxd before administrators stepped in and removed them.
Hollywood Plays Along
The collective delusion became so popular that it caught the attention of the very celebrities drafted into its fictional cast. Lynda Carter made a post playing along with her supposed role as “Dancer #2”, and actor Ryan Reynolds shared his “favorite line” from the movie.
The most surprising validation came on November 25, 2022, when Francesca Scorsese posted a TikTok video showing a text message exchange with her famous father. When she sent the legendary director an article about the Goncharov phenomenon and asked if he had seen it, Martin Scorsese replied: “Yes. I made that film years ago.”