Italy was in for a treat between 2017 and 2020 as it aired Suburra: Blood on Rome, a gritty three-season mafia thriller. The first season achieved a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and fans can still stream the Netflix hit.

The series is heavily inspired by the Mafia crime syndicate and the power clashes within organised crime, involving the likes of politicians, and churchmen, as well as investigations into these links.

The series mainly follows Aureliano Adami (Alessandro Borghi) and his dealing with Alberto “Spadino” Anacleti (Giacomo Ferrara), a Sinti gang member, and Gabriele “Lele” Marchilli (Eduardo Valdarnini), the only son of a policeman who becomes a drug dealer.

Netflix’s synopsis for the crime series reads: “In 2008, a fight over land in a seaside town near Rome spirals into a deadly battle between organized crime, corrupt politicians and the Vatican.”

The show is perfect for fans of recent hits like MobLand and Peaky Blinders, with its gripping storylines, morally grey characters and high-octane thrilling scenes.

Reviews

Fans have been unanimous in their love for the show, as one enthused: “Amazing acting, amazing characters, addictive plot! Rome as you’ve never seen it before. 9/10. A must watch for every mafia-related movie fan! Has a very interesting and underground vibe, and a new perspective of the different families of Rome.”

A second penned: “Highly addictive Italian goodness! Suburra is simply awesome. I was lured into watching it after some frenetic Netflix advertising and am glad I did,” while a third added: “This is an absolutely cracking series. Terrific acting, characters, script, plot, direction. So un-Hollywood! It really sucks you in. The character development is superb. A Romeo and Juliet level of pathos and tragedy.”

Alessandro Borghi playing billiards in a still image from Suburra: Blood on Rome© EMANUELA SCARPA/NETFLIX
Fans were obsessed with the mafia thriller

And a fourth commented: “There are precious few film projects that are as well done as this series. #1 You are going to want to watch the whole thing. #2 This is epic storytelling at its finest, the plot is cohesive, the dialogue extremely well written and the acting is first rate for every character in every scene. #3 The production values and cinematography are as good as what you would expect in a Golden Globe nominated film.”

Who stars in Suburra: Blood on Rome?

The main three leads for the show are played by Alessandro Borghi (Devils), Giacomo Ferrara (Don’t Kill Me) and Eduardo Valdarnini (Mascarpone). They’re also joined by Francesco Acquaroli (The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox), Filippo Nigro (Medici) and Claudia Gerini (John Wick: Chapter 2).

Still image of Alessandro Borghi in Suburra: Blood on Rome© Emanuela Scrapa/Netflix
Alessandro Borghi leads the cast

Other stars in the series include Adamo Dionisi (Dogman), Gerasimos Skiadaresis (Man of God), Carlotta Antonelli (Everybody Loves Diamonds), Augusto Zucchi (Dracula 3D), Rosa Diletta Rossi (Carlo & Malik) and Marzia Ubaldi (I Hate Christmas).