They Call Me Jeeg
2016 · Directed by Gabriele Mainetti
Original language: Italian
- science fiction
- action
- drama
The story
Exposed to radioactive waste, small-time crook Enzo gains super-strength. A misanthropic, introverted brute, he uses his powers for personal gain until he meets Alessia, a mentally ill girl who believes Enzo is the hero from her favorite anime, Steel Jeeg.
What it’s like
Gritty, sun-faded Roman suburbs under flat overcast light, with handheld camera work that stays close to its characters in cramped flats, dim bars and rain-slick back streets. Colour is muted and earthy, with sudden flashes of saturated red and gold when the action breaks out, and the superhero fights land with a heavy, physical thud rather than glossy spectacle. The score mixes restrained strings with loud Italian pop and 1970s-style synth cues, so the mood swings between grimy and giddy. It is a rough-edged, bittersweet vibe that suits a late night alone or a long weekend watch when you want something scruffy and funny with a soft heart. Pacing is loose and episodic, with long quiet stretches in the company of two damaged people, and the emotional register moves from bleak to tender to comic. Violence is real and sudden: brutal crime, shootings, bloody fistfights and a terrorist bombing, with some profanity and sexual talk, but no gore for its own sake. A lonely, sullen man slowly learns to care for a fragile young woman. Made for viewers who like superhero films that feel grounded in everyday grime and who don't mind a dark streak under the humour.
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