Désirs noirs - Belle comme le diable

"Gomorrah" was, for me, a standout series. An easy 10/10 in the organised crime/mafia genre. Regrettably, the spin-off, "Gomorrah: The Origins", doesn't reach the same heights as its conspicuously superior predecessor. Set in 1970s Italy, this crime family origin story is riddled with overstated, posturing performances and set pieces. It exclaims, "Look, look, this is 1970s Italy!" The problem is, it's not. Indeed, the harder it tries, the more unconvincing it becomes. In reality this is a heavily scripted revisionist work that bears little in common with Italy at that time or the period in general. The result is somewhat farcical, bordering on satirical. It's nothing like the understated, down-to-earth gritty masterpiece it apes. In summary, heavy-handed treatment and revisionism sink this series in the first episode. If you are new to Gomorrah, I would suggest watching the original series instead.