Some of Hollywood’s best film productions are inspired by real-life criminal investigations. Sometimes these stories involve street offenders with an interesting story to tell. Other times, a spotlight is shined on organized crime, like inThe Godfatherfilm series that started in the 1970s andGoodfellas,which starred Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro, which premiered in 1990. While these films were violent and had a level of intimidation that made many people fear the mafia or La Costra Nostra, the sophistication and bravado that came with the gangsters romanticized a lot of viewers with that type of lifestyle. With positive and negative reactions still intertwined by fans regarding the subject, Hulu and Disney Plus have acquired the rights for a new miniseries that reminds people of the brutality and savagery that holds these people together, even the ones that have nothing to do with the actual criminal acts.
Based on real-life events first written in a bestselling book by Alex Perry in 2018 by the same name,The Good Motherswill be focused on the wives and children of the men connected to branches of the mafia situated in Calabria, Italy. Between the supposed honor, the timeless traditions, and stone-set loyalty portrayed in the aforementioned films (and many more that were made likeHBO’sThe Sopranos), there is also a heartless discrimination among the males in ’Ndrangheta (Calabria’s mafia) towards the females. Treated more like side plots in most movies within this subgenre, this new miniseries aims to show what happens when this abuse becomes too much, and the women involved decide to fight back.Related:13 Underrated Book to Movie Adaptations You Might Not Have Heard Of
The Good Mothers: The Plot
With the news originally breaking in 2009, this British-Italian dramatization focuses on the fallout following the gruesome death of a ‘Ndrangheta wife who was murdered explicitly because she planned to testify for the state against the crime syndicate. Not only was she killed, but her body and her other remains were set ablaze and buried in Southern Italy. This investigation helped public prosecutor Alessandra Cerret form the idea that the Calabrian branch of the mafia has a weakness and that it is their own sexism.
Already having experience in court against these criminal clans and instinctively understanding that numbers are pivotal, she slowly tries to persuade three other women inside the ‘Ndrangheta to stand up for themselves and sabotage this empire from within. Along with the full support from the state, Ms. Cerret promises all three wives safe haven for themselves and their children. But as the official synopsis states, the very existence of the mafioso’s line of work and Ms. Cerret’s career hangs in the balance, and not everyone involved in this coming war will make it out in the end.
The Good Mothers: Cast and Crew
Originally brought to fruition by a UK-based team called House Productions that wanted to adapt the source material from the book, they quickly found themselves seeking an Italian-based team to help them with the details. A short time later, the creators behind the BBC One dramaSherwoodfound their perfect partner in Wildside, producers ofWe Are Who We AreandThe New Pope, who helped bring many Italian nuances to the emotional screenplay. Heading the script and making sure the Calabrian dialect and gestures are all correct is Stephen Buchard, the screenwriter forBBC’s The Last Kingdom. Julian Jarrold is directing, who is from House Productions and will not be replaced by Wildside’s members.
As for the numerous actors and actresses cast to participate in the upcoming crime drama, names include Valentina Belle, Simona Distefano, Francesco Colella, Gaia Girace, and Micaela Ramazotti. Ramazotti will step into the victim’s shoes, which incites this entire story, Lea Garofolo. At the same time, Ms. Girace will play Denise Cosco, the daughter of the murdered wife, and Mr. Colella will play the vengeful husband. Ms. Distefano will play another abused wife with a harrowing story of her own unfolding amidst the chaos, and Ms. Belle will play Giuseppina Pesce, another spouse who valiantly stands up in the face of her familial adversity.
Related:Best Crime Dramas That Become Horror Movies, Ranked
Release Date
With an exhilarating plot that revolves around a female prosecutor trying to wage war with the all-powerful mafia by secretly recruiting the help of the women who cater to the gangsters,The Good Motherswill be available for U.S viewers on Apr. 5 through Hulu and for international watchers on the same day through Disney Plus.
The Good Mothers: Everything Else We Know
The combined efforts of the Italian and British-based production teams helped push this soon-to-be-released and internationally recognized crime saga as a nominee in the Berlinale Series section, and soon after,the show won the honoras well. Considered to be one of the three largest film festivals in the world and the event with the largest recorded attendance in the category,The Good Motherslooks to already be a hit before its much-anticipated release.
