Gomorrah – streaming on Sky Atlantic in Italy and available on HBO Max internationally – premiered on May 6, 2014, and ran for five gripping seasons (58 episodes) through 2021. This Italian crime saga, based on Roberto Saviano's explosive 2006 nonfiction book of the same name, delivers an unflinching journey into the heart of Naples' Camorra mafia.
The series follows the turbulent rise of two central figures: Ciro Di Marzio, nicknamed "l'Immortale" (The Immortal), a street-hardened enforcer, and Gennaro "Genny" Savastano, the privileged son of a mob boss who must learn to rule. Without ever spoiling specifics, it's safe to say Gomorrah plunges viewers into a world of loyalty and betrayal, family and power, depicted with a level of authenticity and grit rarely seen on television.
"Lauded across Europe and beyond, this show has often been hailed as Italy's answer to The Sopranos, combining cinematic production values with novelistic storytelling."
If you're seeking a crime drama that can stand toe-to-toe with America's best, Gomorrah might just be the crown jewel of international TV.
Gomorrah earns a top-tier 5/5 Woke Rating, meaning it's virtually free of any modern "woke" intrusions or pandering. This series stays laser-focused on authentic storytelling and never sacrifices realism for political correctness.
There are no tokenized characters, forced diversity makeovers, or ham-fisted social justice subplots shoehorned into the narrative. Every character, from the hardened male gangsters to the few formidable women in the clan, exists naturally within the brutal world of the Camorra.
When Gomorrah introduces a female boss or a vulnerable character, it feels organic to the story – not a box-ticking exercise or ahistorical "girl-power" moment. The show's casting and dialogue remain true to Neapolitan culture without any clumsy virtue-signaling.
"In an era when many series cave to agenda over substance, Gomorrah stands proudly traditional. It delivers crime drama in a pure, unapologetically raw form, free of preachy messaging – a refreshing throwback to quality storytelling untainted by contemporary sensitivities."
Final Verdict: If you're fatigued by shows that prioritize politics over plot, this series is a welcome relief.
At its core, Gomorrah is a study of loyalty, friendship, and the knife's edge between them. The life-and-death pressure cooker of the Neapolitan underworld forges bonds arguably stronger than family. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the relationship between Ciro Di Marzio and Gennaro Savastano.
Across five seasons, the evolution of Ciro and Genny's partnership – from tentative allies to something like brothers in blood – becomes one of television's greatest portrayals of friendship. Their bond is built on trust born in gunfire and betrayal, a connection so intense that it frequently oscillates between profound camaraderie and looming treachery.
"The greatest crime sagas understand that violence is just the surface – the true story lies in loyalty and betrayal."
Throughout the series, we see how each man becomes a pillar for the other when the world turns against them. Ciro mentors Genny through his early stumbles, while Genny's rise forces Ciro to confront his own ambitions and limits.
The writers smartly avoid any sentimental bromance clichés; instead, their friendship is honed by hardship and dark deeds. When tensions flare between them (as they inevitably do in the cutthroat Camorra life), the emotional impact hits hard because the show makes us believe in their fraternal connection.
Gomorrah excels at depicting how shared danger and criminal codes can bind men together tighter than blood, until fate or ambition threatens to sever those ties. This theme of brotherhood – and the tragic betrayals that can stem from it – gives the series a surprisingly profound emotional core amidst all the bullets and brutality.
The Result: By the end, the question isn't just whether Ciro and Genny will survive the gangland wars, but whether their brotherhood can survive the choices they make.
If Gomorrah's storytelling is exceptional, its characters are legendary. Chief among them is Ciro "l'Immortale" Di Marzio – a character whose very nickname, The Immortal, has become the stuff of TV legend.
Marco D'Amore as Ciro – D'Amore's portrayal is both ferocious and subtle. He dominates the screen with quiet menace, conveying Ciro's ruthless efficiency through icy stares and restrained body language. Yet beneath the hitman's stoic exterior, he lets flickers of soul and sorrow emerge, hinting at the humanity Ciro has buried deep. It's a performance of minimalist intensity that makes "The Immortal" utterly compelling and eerily believable as a man who always comes back for more.
Salvatore Esposito as Gennaro – Esposito undergoes a remarkable transformation over the series. In the beginning, his Genny is a chubby, naïve mob heir living in his father's shadow. By the end, Esposito has convincingly morphed Genny into a cold-blooded crime lord who can instill fear with a single glare. The actor brings a nuanced depth to this journey, shading Genny with moments of self-doubt, desperation, and steely resolve.
Gomorrah's world feels alive with memorable characters beyond the two leads:
"Crucially, Gomorrah never turns its mobsters into caricatures or superheroes. These are flawed, dangerous, flesh-and-blood people, and the performances drive that home."
The Result: By the time the credits roll, the aura and legend built around The Immortal and his compatriots ensure that their place in crime drama history is sealed. The Immortal lives on in the pantheon of great television anti-heroes, and Genny's tragic arc stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Tony Sopranos and Walter Whites of the world.
One of the first things you'll notice about Gomorrah is its uncompromising visual realism. The show is largely filmed on location in Naples – often in the infamous Vele di Scampia housing projects – and it shows.
The camera doesn't flinch from the graffiti-stained stairwells, claustrophobic concrete apartments, or the stark high-rise slums known locally as "Le Vele" (the sails). This isn't the postcard Italy of tourist brochures; it's a bleak urban battleground bathed in harsh neon light and shadow.
The filmmakers transform Naples itself into a character – from the labyrinthine alleyways of Secondigliano to the looming presence of Mount Vesuvius on the skyline, there's a constant reminder that in this city, beauty and violence co-exist.
Director Stefano Sollima and his colleagues adopted a striking neo-noir style that blends cinematic flair with documentary-like grit. The color palette often tilts toward cold blues and grays, mirroring the emotional coldness of gang life, yet bursts of rich color (flickers of warm light in a cramped church, the garish glow of a nightclub) punctuate key moments.
Every frame feels authentic – you'll see:
"Such minuscule details ground the series deeply in Naples' culture."
Cinematographically, Gomorrah opts for a kinetic, immersive approach. Hand-held camera work and tight close-ups put us right in the tension – whether it's a hushed conversation in dialect or a sudden drive-by shooting, the viewer feels present.
The soundtrack by the band Mokadelic deserves special mention: brooding electronic beats and mournful melodies swell in at just the right moments, amplifying the sense of dread or tragedy. In quiet scenes, you might only hear the distant wail of a siren or the echo of prayers at a roadside shrine, grounding us in a living, breathing city.
The Result: All these elements combine to transport the audience into the Camorra's realm. Watching Gomorrah, you almost smell the gunpowder and feel the Neapolitan heat. Few shows outside of perhaps The Wire have achieved such a perfect marriage of setting, tone, and story, and in Gomorrah every shot fired and every tear shed feels earned and real.
It's impossible to talk about Gomorrah without crediting Roberto Saviano, the man who started it all. Saviano's 2006 book Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Camorra exposed the bleak realities of the Neapolitan crime syndicate with unprecedented courage – so much so that local mob bosses marked him for death.
The author, who grew up in Naples amidst the very horrors he described, wrote the book as a fearless act of truth-telling. As a result, he has lived under police protection for over a decade, dodging assassination attempts (including foiled car bombs) by the Camorra.
"This harrowing real-life saga lends Gomorrah the series an extra layer of authenticity and gravitas – the world we see on screen is deeply informed by Saviano's first-hand knowledge and personal sacrifice."
It's a rare case where the creator's own story is nearly as dramatic as the fiction. Unsurprisingly, the show's lore and setting draw heavily from Saviano's reportage, and he deserves full credit for providing the rich, terrifying sandbox in which these characters play.
Yet, equally, credit is due to those who adapted and expanded Saviano's work for the screen. The TV series diverges from the book's nonfiction format, inventing its own characters like Ciro and Genny while capturing the essence of Saviano's findings.
Under the guidance of showrunner Stefano Sollima and writers like Leonardo Fasoli, Gomorrah the show has accomplished something truly remarkable: it stays true to the spirit of truth in Saviano's book while crafting an original, edge-of-your-seat narrative.
For those interested in Gomorrah's broader universe, it's worth noting the other adaptations of Saviano's work:
Final Thought: Roberto Saviano's ongoing ordeal – living in hiding in his own country – underscores the real-world stakes behind this story. Gomorrah's existence as a series is practically an act of defiance against the Camorra's intimidation. In that sense, every episode is imbued with a bit of Saviano's rebellious spirit.
Gomorrah isn't just a great crime drama – it's arguably one of the greatest television series ever made outside of America's well-trodden prestige circuit. Across five seasons, it maintains a level of storytelling excellence and visceral power that puts it in the same league as the golden-age classics.
The overall production quality, from writing to direction to acting, is top-notch, rivaling the likes of The Sopranos or Breaking Bad in its own distinct way. In our rating, Gomorrah scores an impressive 9.24 out of 10, reflecting its near-flawless execution and impact.
"This is a show that does not flinch – it's unrelentingly intense and at times shockingly brutal, yet it never feels gratuitous or sensationalist. Every character beat and plot twist lands with purpose and realism."
Who should watch Gomorrah? Anyone who appreciates truth in storytelling. If you're a fan of:
Then this series is a must-watch. Keep in mind, Gomorrah is entirely in Italian (specifically, a Neapolitan dialect) with subtitles – which only adds to its authenticity. Don't let that deter you; the performances are so powerful that language becomes no barrier at all.
Our final woke assessment is that Gomorrah is refreshingly not woke (a perfect 5/5 on our anti-woke scale). In fact, its commitment to portraying harsh reality is one of its greatest strengths – nothing ever feels sanitized or agenda-driven. This allows viewers of any political stripe to get lost in the story without distraction.
Fair Warning: This series is uncompromisingly brutal and intense. It's not for the faint of heart.
Final Verdict: In conclusion, Gomorrah exemplifies the pinnacle of international TV: a series that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and uncompromising. It shows that world-class storytelling knows no borders. By the time you finish the final episode, you'll likely agree that in the realm of crime dramas, Gomorrah stands immortal. The Immortal's saga—along with the show itself—truly lives on, leaving an indelible mark on all who experience it.
