This is Not Hollywood: Avetrana

I went into this series with all the skepticism I could muster, fully prepared to tear it apart and condemn its creators for what I assumed would be a crass exploitation of a murdered child's memory.

I expected a mediocre director reenacting the crime like a puppet show, tossing in a few dramatic moments, a dash of moralizing, and calling it art.

But by the end of the first episode, to my surprise, I found myself utterly captivated. The storytelling was elegant, deliberate, and profoundly moving.

The characters didn't feel like they were following a script; they felt alive, fully realized. The cast was extraordinary, and the direction brought out their very best.

Even with its grounding in the everyday, the story resonates with the weight of universal tragedy.

It's clear that Mezzapesa isn't just a director-he's an artist. He's given his characters something rare: a soul.