Suburra

Plot synopsis:
Filippo Malgradi is an Italian MP who is currently involved in a bill to change the classification of certain administrative areas; his objective is to allow a real estate project in Ostia so that it could be turned into a Las Vegas-like city. He has close relations with a local crime boss – known as "Samurai", a former right-wing terrorist turned criminal under the cover of an unsuspecting pump station owner – who also has very deep interests in the real estate project. Samurai has privileged ties to the Vatican Bank, who will finance the project and profit immensely from it.
One evening, Filippo goes into a hotel room with two prostitutes – Sabrina and Jelena, who is underage – to engage in a "sex and drugs" party. The underage girl dies from intoxication and Filippo and Sabrina have to dispose of the body. Filippo runs away and Sabrina calls a Gypsy friend – Alberto Anacleti, known as Dagger – to help her get rid of the body. They decide to throw the body into an artificial lake.
Dagger originates from a Gypsy family who made a fortune as money-lenders and collecting debts by violent means. They lent money to the father of Sebastiano, an upper class pimp who is a close friend of the prostitute Sabrina and who organises secret parties in his family villa for important members of the Italian high society. Sebastiano's father commits suicide after being unable to pay his debts and Manfredi Anacleti – the patriarch of the Anacleti family – summons Sebastiano to convince him to relinquish all his property to pay for his father's debts.
Dagger decides to blackmail Filippo into purchasing drugs and prostitutes from him and his family, threatening to reveal everything he knows. Filippo asks a member of the party to put Dagger in his place; the MP asks Aureliano Adami (known as Number 8) to teach Dagger a lesson but the confrontation ends up being more violent than expected and Aureliano kills Dagger leaving Manfredi Anacleti infuriated and thirsty for revenge.
Aureliano is a local thug who controls the target of the real estate project permitted by the bill in discussion. His father was also a criminal and a close friend of Samurai although his means were much less violent. He has agreed with Samurai a division in profits as long as Aureliano convinces – by violent means – local small business owners to sell their properties at a bargain to Samurai. Aureliano Adami is in love with a drug-addict named Viola.
Filippo and Sabrina make a pact of silence over what happened that night and Sabrina, fearful that the Anacleti or the Judiciary may get to her, asks her pimp Sebastiano for help. Sebastiano lets her stay in her place and hears her confession. He then decides to reveal the identity of Dagger's murderer to Manfredi in exchange for his family's villa.
Anacleti's henchman attempt unsuccessfully to kill Aureliano. Fearful that an all-out war between Aureliano Adami and Manfredi Anacleti could threaten his real estate interests, Samurai decides to intervene between the two to bring about some peace. In the meantime Manfredi learns about the real estate project and also wants his share in the business.
Manfredi blackmails Sebastiano to hand him over the prostitute Sabrina; in turn, Sabrina tells Manfredi Anacleti the name of the politician who is behind the project, which she reveals to be Filippo Malgradi. Manfredi bursts into Filippo's apartment and takes his son as a hostage, demanding a participation in the business. Filippo, in a rage, asks Samurai for protection. Samurai, who does not want to lose the transaction, attempts to reason with Aureliano but he tells Samurai that he is old and outdated. Samurai, offended by Aureliano's words and also fearful that the Vatican would back down on financing the project, decides to kill him and his henchmen. During the shooting, the drug-addict Viola hides and manages to escape. He decides to share the profits only with Manfredi Anacleti.
In the meantime Manfredi turns greedy and goes back on his promise to return the family villa to Sebastiano, severely beating Sebastiano as a lesson and intimidation. The bill is also approved, the Vatican provides financing and everything seems to be in motion to provide Filippo, Manfredi and Samurai with their millions.
The body of the underage prostitute is found in the banks of the river. Filippo is warned that the Judiciary may investigate him, but he is not worried since he has immunity as a member of Parliament. Meanwhile, Sebastiano, in a fit of rage, assaults Manfredi when he arrives home at night, and beats him severely. He then leaves the patriarch of the family to the rage of Manfredi's own ferocious pit bull. After the approval of the bill, the Italian Prime Minister resigns from office, which jeopardizes Filippo's parliamentary immunity, potentially leaving him at the mercy of the Judiciary. Finally, Samurai is killed while leaving his mother's apartment by Viola, Aureliano's girlfriend.

Tags: revenge, murder, violence

Review: