Don't Be Bad
Directed by Claudio Caligari
- crime
- drama
The story
A story set in the 90s and in the outskirts of Rome to Ostia. A world where money, luxury cars, night clubs, cocaine and synthetic drugs are easy to run. A world in which Vittorio and Cesare, in their early twenties, act in search of their success.
What it’s like
Washed-out daylight and grimy interiors give this film the look of a drained 1990s Rome: flat beach-town light over the Ostia seafront, cramped flats with peeling walls, and the glow of nightclub strobes and car headlights after dark. Claudio Caligari shoots in a mostly unfussy, observational style, with handheld cameras that stay close to the two friends as they drift between stolen cars, pills and powder, and the score leans on tinny pop and a few sparse, melancholy cues that let street noise and traffic breathe. Its vibe is bleak, restless and sad, with a seedy nostalgia for a city where easy money looks like a way out. The pace is loose and episodic, drifting through long stretches of hanging around before sudden bursts of hustle and danger, and the emotional register stays low-key and tender underneath the grime. The friendship at its centre slowly curdles under drug use and bad decisions, and the arcs are about loyalty fraying rather than triumph. Violence is present and sometimes sudden, with brief fights and rough police encounters, and drug use is frequent and shown plainly, with some sexual content and a few harsh, unsentimental scenes. It suits viewers who want a grounded, unglamorous portrait of youth and addiction and can handle a heavy, downbeat watch.
More films like Don't Be Bad
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Don't Be Bad and we’ll explain which ones fit you.
