Bang Bang Baby

Italians could make great genre films in the past that are remembered even today and found by the new audiences every day. This can't be said for many of the new italian movies and serieses. However Bang Bang Baby is a big exception to this and it shows how cool italian directors and filmmakers can be. Just disregard the ominous name.

This series has high production values, big budget, fantastic cast, great 80's music and very very good script. It appears that nothing could go wrong with the first five episodes because I was completely hooked. I didn't have any boring moments watching it. I can't think of negative things to say.

Very well produced and directed. Great music department with forgotten gems of the '80s from Italy. Unfortunately it's just a nice package without any solid content from a storyline, setting or characterization perspective. Started watching it without much hope, soon sped up at 1,5x, and still got bored by ep3.

When I wondered what was supposed to be the target audience I couldn't find one. The original but ultimately unsuccessful mix of surreal coming of age story, gritty historical setting and comic-like crime comedy delivers too much stuff that isn't going to cater to any audience.

The actual target is likely the population of 15-30yo but will they care about the distant and uneventful historical setting or will they just be bored? If we think instead to the italian 50yo who lived through those years - the intended target by the producers I guess - lots of elements fall flat or result anachronistically out of place. Should anyone care about the lovable homages and careful reconstruction of pop culture elements of the time when we are in the meantime presented such a stereotyped Italy filled with anachronistic sensitivity towards men-women parity and openess of sexual behaviours? Or what about the unbelievable depiction of how 'Ndrangheta acts: where are the soldiers and the bodyguards of a poweful criminal organization? Why aren't they involved in the daily activities? Why dozens of people - kids included - seem allowed to listen to mob meetings?

And even forgiving some plot holes the 2 main actors - Alice and her grandmother - result weak. The first has no subtlety and looks constantly as if she's seen a ghost (the script here didn't help). The granny instead isn't menacing in the least, while supposedly being a ruthless mob boss.

Reminded me of other recent quirky series - "Briarpatch", "Happy", "Barry" or "Killing Eve" - for their love of the grotesque and the surreal. Productions that - equally and without exception - feel like lacking "something" in the writing dept to be considered great (even the best ones like "Barry" or "Killing Eve"). In the comparison with such productions "Bang Bang Baby" ends up as a good or very good series. Still a good production alone isn't worth more than a 5/10 IMHO and - exactly like for "Briarpatch" and "Happy", the plot crumbles very soon. 1 point more if you're an italian 50yo.

Some parts are interesting, the character of the grandma is very cool but the protagonist girls has 1 expression and the general storytelling is fragmentary and counterclimatic. Wanted to like it but stopped watching at episode 2. Also, signature gay character that needs to be shoehorned in every modern series made my eyes roll at minute 5. Director wants to imitate Sorrentino but should have had a more Gomorra-like pacing and style to make this enjoyable.

To be honest I did not expect a great movie not even a good movie. However this is so good that it just blew me away. I just saw five episodes and I think they're supposed to be more in a few weeks but I'm not sure. I certainly hope it is. It is English subtitled but the production, the acting and the female protagonist is an exceptional choice for the leading role. I think they would have done better if they had given a different name, because the name is what probably made me underrated before watching. I want to talk about it, but I don't want to give the serious away, trust me you will like it.

A creative stylized approach that gets into the teenage protagonist's mind-frame of the twisted violent mayhem life involving the resurfacing of a supposedly dead father, a crime family with dirty secrets and the most evil of all - teenage puberty!

It is so riddled with cliche characters and situations that it works perfectly thanks to the performers (very much Felliniesque), art direction, wardrobe and technical brilliance. Not to forget a stunning compilation of music that is the soundtrack to Alice's wild ride into the underbelly of the corrupt and sinister forces of 1980s Italy.

Buon appetito!