Suburra
Directed by Stefano Sollima
- crime
- drama
- thriller
The story
A gangster known as "Samurai" wants to turn the waterfront of Rome into a new Las Vegas. All the local mob bosses have agreed to work for this common goal. But peace is not to last long.
What it’s like
Gritty night-time Rome in sodium orange and cold blue: rain-slick streets, hard shadows, handheld camera pressed close to faces in cramped cars, flats and nightclubs, with grimy digital texture rather than glossy polish. Violence arrives suddenly and lands hard, with brief but brutal shootings and beatings, and some sexual content and drug use; it is not gentle. The sound is pulsing electronic score and tense, rising synth beneath traffic hum, dropping into quiet when a deal is struck. Its vibe is sweaty, sun-starved corruption, a city with the Vatican's shadow over every decision. Pacing is dense and interlocking, with many characters moving in and out of alliances, and the emotional register is cynical and bleak, centred on men who are gradually boxed in by their own ambition and loyalty. It suits a late, alone viewing with the lights off and attention fully engaged. It is for people who want crime drama with atmosphere and moral rot, not comfort.
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