Set in 2011 at the fraught time of Pope Benedict’s abdication and the fall of Berlusconi’s government, this neo-noir crime thriller is an intense ride that will have you at the edge of your seat.

The surface story revolves around an aging but feared and respected gangster named Samurai who, on behalf of the ‘Southern Families’, schemes to use the Vatican, Roman politicians and other gangsters to turn the quiet beach town of Ostia into the ‘New Las Vegas’ – a project that could ultimately bring in billions. Working alongside Samurai is Filippo Malgradi and this partnership offers a suitably seedy conduit into Rome’s corridors of power, where lawmakers conspire with criminals.

This is a brilliantly directed tale of love, treachery, corruption and betrayal: don’t miss it.