Television series
Suburra: La Serie
- Gangster
- Relentless
A Roman crime saga where church, state, and organized crime collide over coastal real estate. Three ambitious young men navigate a system rigged by older powers, where every alliance is a trap and every choice has consequences. Vicious, operatic, and entirely in Italian—this is *Godfather* energy applied to contemporary corruption.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like crime stories where church, politics, gangs and property money are all tangled in one city, and you enjoy following several ambitious characters forming shaky alliances over long episodes.
Skip it if you want a tidy, self-contained story, since this sprawls across three seasons and many interlocking threads that can feel busy and grim.
What it asks of you: Expect a long commitment with dense plotting, a dark palette, and violence handled without relief; you have to keep track of who owes whom.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Gomorra: La Serie2014
The definitive Naples crime series that perfected the Italian crime drama template. Gritty, character-driven storytelling where minor players become tragic heroes, and the system itself is the real antagonist.
But Requires genuine investment; the narrative is dense and characters' fates can feel sudden. Bleak in ways that don't offer catharsis.
Peaky Blinders2013
Ambitious young men climbing a criminal hierarchy, using intelligence and ruthlessness. Visually stylish, character work is exceptional, and it builds toward something genuinely consequential with each season.
But The style occasionally overwhelms substance. Later seasons lose focus and the ending divides viewers sharply.
Crime Novel2005
Raw, violent Roman crime epic about a gang's rise and fall across decades. Authentic brutality, strong performances, and the city itself becomes a character. Direct DNA for this show.
But Very violent, often gratuitously so. The pacing feels uneven and some plot threads resolve unsatisfyingly.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Suburra: La Serie
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Caché2005
Both use crime and corruption as a framework to interrogate how power actually operates—not through dramatic confrontations but through systems designed to exclude certain people from the start.
A thriller about buried systems, class resentment, and how institutional power operates invisibly. French, morally complex, about surveillance and truth. Will reset your expectations for what crime drama can explore.
But Deliberately frustrating; withholding information is the point. No cathartic resolution. Some find it infuriating rather than profound.
More like this (5)
The Godfather1972
The template for everything here: how power works, how loyalty erodes, how young men inherit systems built by older ones. Operatic and intimate simultaneously. Essential context.
But Nearly four hours. The deliberate pacing is part of the point but requires genuine patience and attention.
Bodkin2024
Contemporary Irish crime mystery with similar themes of corruption and local power structures. Tighter plotting, mordant humor, and John Turturro at his best. Refreshingly concise.
But Solves its mystery perhaps too tidily. The final act feels slightly rushed after the setup promises more complexity.
The Sopranos1999
The show that taught everyone how to make crime dramas intelligent. Character depth, moral ambiguity, genuine humor. Changed everything. Worth revisiting if you haven't in years.
But Slow by modern standards. The first season especially requires patience, and some plots feel dated now.
A Prophet2009
One man's rise through a prison hierarchy mirrors Suburra's structure exactly. Claustrophobic, gripping, and morphs from crime thriller into psychological portrait. Tahar Rahim is magnetic.
But Static settings can feel claustrophobic in the wrong way. Some viewers find the pacing repetitive in the middle section.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself2022
If you want similar characters—ambitious, dangerous, betrayed by mentors—in a slightly different genre frame. Young cast, high stakes, genuine surprises. Worth the detour for the character work.
But Tries to balance too many tones. Shifts between gritty crime and supernatural elements that don't always cohere.
