Black Souls 2014

The far-flung brothers of a mob family are compelled to regroup after a bumptious young nephew stirs up a long-dormant feud. Though the action encompasses Amsterdam and Milan, the dark heart of their tale is located in Calabria, in the tiny mountainous town of Africo, where the ’Ndrangheta exerts control. Based on a true story, Francesco Munzi’s film explores the tributaries of catastrophe with meticulous, almost anthropological realism. The hand of death hovers over every character, but you might not guess where or when it will strike. “Black Souls is an ominous, well-acted portrait of an ingrown feudal society of violence, retaliation and deadly machismo… As the body count escalates, you observe the implosion of an airtight mob community whose code of silence is embraced by wives and family members… Black Souls is the antithesis of a sensationalist splatter movie. There is not an operatic flourish to be seen in a film whose killings are executed with a cold blooded efficiency. This isn’t entertainment; it’s life and death.” — Stephen Holden, NY Times