Alex Behan08:00, May 28 2021
Supplied
Gomorrah
It’s not just pasta, Italians also invented the mafia, which is a big part of what makes this gangster drama feel so authentic.
I’m being facetious, of course, but this thrilling series, broadly based on real events that often defy belief, is so horrifically violent and full of tragedy, a sense of humour seems justifiable. In 2006,
Gomorrah started as a book by investigative journalist Roberto Saviano about the organised crime syndicate Camorra, often referred to as the most violent criminal organisation in Italy.
A successful film followed in 2008 and the television series started in 2014, the fifth-and-final season of which is due out late this year. It’s realistic, it’s dark, it’s in Italian and it’s so well-made, I could tell you there is an explosion in the first episode. I could even tell you what scene it was in, I could sit right next to you and warn you that it is imminently about to happen, and it would still leave you reeling.