'Most engrossing' period drama 'in years' praised for historical accuracy is unmissable

An overlooked period drama TV series has enraptured audiences after it aired on Sky Atlantic earlier this year, after others havehailed a "masterful" series and viewers are raving about an "exhilarating" movie.

Many have praised the programme on IMDb, with one 10/10 review billing it as “a work of art” and explaining: “This series is one of the most beautiful I have seen in recent times.”

A second top-tier review said: “The scary part is the historical accurateness.”

A third top-rated review was titled: “Best Most Engrossing TV In Years” and the review elaborated: “This is Magnificent. A 10 all day long and double on Sunday.”

Another person described it as “House of Card meets Hitler: The Rise of Evil”.

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The user went on to explain: “A solid recommendation from me. I really enjoyed the flow, acting, action, and storytelling. I always find it fascinating how such a destructive force can rise to power-what forces support it, oppose it, and which ones get swayed, and why. The quality of the series is excellent.”

Yet another person said: “This is a stunningly good miniseries about the rise of Mussolini. The visual approach is highly creative, weaving in old newsreels, new footage made to look like old newsreels, nightmarish puppet shows, all inspired by the Expressionist cinema of the time.

“The acting performances are volcanic and the subject matter is highly topical, maybe a bit too topical.”

Mussolini: Son of the Century is a historical and biographical period drama directed by acclaimed British director Joe Wright, who is behind the likes of Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Cyrano, and many more.

The show premiered earlier this year in January on Sky after debuting at the Venice Film Festival in 2024.

The eight-part Italian series takes its cue from the 2018 novel M: Son of the Century by Antonio Scurati.

The book itself was the first in a series of six retelling the rise of fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Mussolini: Son of the Century stars Italian actor Luca Marinelli as the infamous leader and charts his early political career from the founding of the Fasci Italiani in 1919, going all the way up to 1924 with the assassination of socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti.

The series concludes with Mussolini delivering a speech in Parliament in 1925.

Mussolini: Son of the Century sees the eponymous character breaking the fourth wall as he takes audiences along with him on his ascent, providing an uncomfortably intimate journey.

Other cast members include Francesco Russo as Cesare Rossi, Barbara Chichiarelli as Margherita Sarfatti, Benedetta Cimatti as Rachele Mussolini, and Claudio Bigagli as General Guglielmo Pecori Giraldi.

While filmmaker Wright helmed the series, Mussolini: Son of the Century was scripted by Stefano Bises, Davide Serino, and author Scurati.

Wright immediately accepted the project when he was approached about working on a show about Mussolini.

He told Elle Italia: “I was very careful to tell the truth without being didactic, I tried to understand without sympathizing [sic], maintaining a critical distance... Mussolini was fascinating, he seduced a nation and many others.”

He went on to say: “On a more personal level, it's a series about toxic masculinity, which is unique to us, we have it inside us. We must understand our responsibilities and turn our backs on them, or we'll end up morally bankrupt."

Mussolini: Son of the Century is streaming on Now and episodes drop weekly on streaming service Mubi