Il cacciatore

Great Sicilian mafia series There's two seasons so far but they only have one season available on Amazon . From the first episode on it seems like the characters keep on growing and the episodes get better . Very good story .

I have binge watched both seasons and I really got sucked into the 90's in Sicily. I have never watched a mafia series that felt so authentic. In parallel I read the Wikipedia articles about the main characters which obviously added to the authentic experience. It is amazing with what ease people were killed in those times - times which aren't even long ago.

You have to overcome the first episode which appears a bit confusing, at least for foreigners. Also, after a while I started to fast forward parts of the flashbacks, which weren't bad but I was much more interested in the current events, i.e. The manhunt. I don't think I missed anything important.

Overall a really great series. Bravo, Italian TV!

Let me begin by saying that I am not one for usually writing reviews. Having said that, and after having seen the entire series, I feel compelled to share my thoughts. Let me begin by saying that this show treats the viewer with respect, both for their intelligence and their time. Unlike regurgitated puke-inducing American shows, this superlative Italian crime drama, absolutely redefines the genre. It is original, gripping, filled with nuances and intrigue, and never relinquishes control of the viewers attention. I cannot say enough good things about the level and maturity of the acting on display. It is such a breath of fresh air to find a show, albeit in another language, that brings to life a story and characters in the most lucid and thought provoking manner. 10 out of 10.

You hear stories about this Italian mafia and those who tried and sometimes dies trying to stop their activities. Really enjoyed this textured portrayal of both sides. Looking forward to season 2.

This Italian series tells of the war against the Cosa Nostra in the 1990s; in particular the hunt for Leoluca Bagarella, a senior Mafioso and his associates and a child they are believed to have kidnapped. Saverio Barone, a young prosecutor recently recruited to the Anti-Mafia squad, is among those leading the hunt; a hunt he becomes obsessed with. He is partnered with Carlo Mazza, a more experienced prosecutor. Over the course of the first series we see events from the perspective of these prosecutors; Bagarella and his associates, most notably his driver Tony.

I really enjoyed the first season of this series and hope the second becomes available here soon. The tone is understandably fairly bleak... anybody hoping for the fun of Sicily based crime drama 'Inspector Montalbano' will be sorely disappointed! The series doesn't shy away from showing Mafia crimes; there are some fairly gruelling scenes of torture and murder and as hunt for the boy drags on for months and years with him chained up and his chance of survival not that great there is a sense of bleakness. The opening of each episode reminds us that this is based on real events, but with details changed for dramatic purposes; this helps keep the viewer on edge, especially if like me you don't know how the real story ends. The cast does a really impressive job bringing their characters to life... not 'larger than life'; the Mafiosi are shown as fairly ordinary people who happen to be violent criminals rather than obviously evil villains, which explains why they aren't easily caught. Overall I'd certainly recommend this.

These comments are based on watching the series in Italian with English subtitles.