ZeroZeroZero Review

Introduction

This series is based on the same-titled book by Italian novelist Roberto Saviano, who also penned the critically acclaimed television series 'Gomorrah'. Stefano Sollima, who directed and wrote the screenplay for 'Gomorrah', is also responsible for the high-profile version of 'ZeroZeroZero', which charts the course of a $60 million cocaine shipment.

The program addresses the supply chain, from the notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia boss in Italy to the Mexican cartel, middlemen, and Lynwood family in New Orleans. Everything begins to fall apart for all involved when the cargo is diverted to Africa, and the show deftly combines the three threads of the narrative with all the betrayals and disastrous outcomes that ensue. In case the viewers wonder, 'ZeroZeroZero' gets its name from the best type of pasta flour, "000" which is slang for the purest cocaine used by traffickers.

Plot Story

The patriarch of the Lynwood family, Edward, is portrayed by Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne, who has been in films like 'Hereditary' and 'The Usual Suspects'. Lynwood is preparing Emma (Andrea Riseborough) to take over the family's prominent shipping business. His son Chris, played by Dane DeHaan is coping with Huntington's illness's early stages. Chris is one of the most sympathetic characters in the program. The Lynwood family dynamics are as compelling as the show's more graphic and violent scenes.

The buyer, the elderly mafioso Don Minu La Piana (Adriano Chiaramida), is also involved in complex power battles in Italy. Stefano, Stefano's ambitious and cunning grandson, is undermining Don Minu La Piana. Manuel Contreras (Harold Torres), a charismatic but dishonest soldier who defected and formed his army, is at the center of the Mexican plot.

Review

The story of 'ZeroZeroZero' is almost robotic. Each episode has a moment where everything briefly slows down and sets up a flashback. Sometimes this adds context, other times, it merely acts as a gimmick. Each episode must thread together the three tales, rarely with elegance or clear continuity. Even if it might be on purpose, it doesn't help that the characters, especially in the Italian and Mexican parts of the story, are very mechanical.

However, aside from the three major protagonists Don Minu, his grandson Stefano (Giuseppe De Domenico), and Manuel, the supporting cast barely ever has names and lacks distinguishing characteristics. Even those main characters are given little to work with. Manuel's one redeeming quality is his devotion to a revivalist church; otherwise, he could just as easily be a robot.

There is a lot of torturing and maiming in this, so it is confusing whether 'ZeroZeroZero' was enjoying the fake brutality or was about those who did. This may be where Paolo Carnera and Romain Lacourbas, the directors and cinematographers, are thinking things over. Each episode of 'ZeroZeroZero' is one beautiful shot after another, whether it is the natural grandeur of the Calabrian coast, the African desert, the industrial size of a massive shipping yard, or a container-stacked freighter. But the show's use of several points of view is what distinguishes it and makes it worthwhile to watch. An important thing to notice is that it accomplishes all this without resorting to the simple application of photographic enhancements that 'Traffic' and 'Narcos' have established as standard practice.

Conclusion

With its jaw-dropping stunts, glitzy cinematography, and clever storyline, 'ZeroZeroZero' offers all the breathtaking spectacle one could ask for in a top-notch thriller. The mood is only enhanced by a Mogwai original soundtrack. The show does not hold back and supports its slickness with the drug trade's harsh realities and human costs. But what distinguishes the program and makes it worthwhile to watch is the use of several points of view. Switching between these numerous points of view, locales, and languages while following the drama gives the genre a fresh perspective, resulting in a captivating, multifaceted drama that draws the audience in from the very first episode.