An overlooked period drama series, Mussolini: Son of the Century, has enraptured audiences since its debut on Sky Atlantic earlier this year. The eight-part Italian series, directed by acclaimed British filmmaker Joe Wright, charts the rise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini from 1919 to 1925.
The show has received widespread praise on IMDb, with one 10/10 review calling it “a work of art” and another describing it as “the most engrossing TV in years”. A third review likened it to “House of Cards meets Hitler: The Rise of Evil”, praising its flow, acting, and storytelling.
The series, based on Antonio Scurati’s 2018 novel M: Son of the Century, stars Italian actor Luca Marinelli as Mussolini. It follows his early political career, from founding the Fasci Italiani in 1919 to the assassination of socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti in 1924, culminating in a 1925 parliamentary speech.
Wright, known for Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, said he aimed to “tell the truth without being didactic” and described the series as being about “toxic masculinity”. The show premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 and is now streaming on Now and Mubi.
