‘Gomorrah’
While many have decided to use the pandemic as a time to launch a Sopranos rewatch, I’ve gone in a slightly different direction by diving headfirst into the Gomorrah Cinematic Universe. Based on Roberto Saviano’s groundbreaking book, this 2008 movie —which later spawned a few captivating seasons worth of television — takes a gritty, intense look at the way Mafia culture has permeated virtually every facet of society in its birthplace: Italy. The movie teems with authenticity, feeling more like a documentary than a narrative feature; in fact, multiple cast members have been arrested for their ties to organized crime since the movie’s release. It even earned a co-sign from Martin Scorsese, who called the film “a tough, forceful look at the Neapolitan underworld.”