A hidden gem that you might not have seen.
If you’re a fan of true crime films, it’s very likely that you’ve been slightly disappointed with some of the recent releases that have come through the Hollywood system.
OK, Spotlight was incredible but when it comes to features that solely focus on organised crime, violence or the Mafia, the likes of Black Mass, The Infiltrator and Public Enemies have been somewhat lacking.
This is particularly true when measured against some of the ‘smaller’ or ‘independent’ films that were released in the genre.
If you haven’t seen the likes of A Prophet, Bronson, Starred Up or Mesrine then we urge you to do so, but Netflix have added a new true-crime film to their library and as The Telegraph said in their review, it’s “worthy of Scorsese.”
The Examiner and The Guardian have supported this comparison to the iconic director of Raging Bull, the Departed and Mean Streets because they were extremely complementary in their reviews of The Clan (El Clan).
In fact, The Examiner said that the film is “an unbelievable true gangster story that clearly owes a lot to Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” stylistically” while The Guardian noted that “Scorsese might admire the brash way Trapero (the director) deploys a pop soundtrack.”
Ok, so what’s it about?
The true story revolves around the Puccio Clan, an Argentinian family who kidnapped and killed people in the ’80s. The “disappearances” that marked the Videla regime in Argentina continued after the dictator’s fall in 1981, but the motive changed from politics to money. Arquimedes Puccio kidnapped wealthy men and women and held them for ransom in his home, using domineering control over his family and – for a time – the tacit protection of police to do it.
With a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Pablo Trapero’s gripping, mesmeric and stylish film is already an established critical darling.
The Independent described it as an”unsettling and provocative thriller which can also be read as an allegory about bad faith and corruption” while Guillermo Francella’s performance as Arquimedes Puccio has is nothing short of “demonic.”
If you’re eager to learn more about the infamous Puccio family, there’s also a TV show that’s available on Netflix called Historia de la Clan.
Take a look at the trailer for El Clan.
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