The Ruthless

The Ruthless follows Santo Russo, a boy from a Calabrian family who moves to the outskirts of Milan in the late 1960s in search of a better life. After petty thefts in the suburbs and a spell in juvenile prison, he chooses crime for good. Within a few years he becomes the driving force behind a feared gang, involved in robberies, kidnappings, drug trafficking, money laundering and contract killings. His rise is set against Milan's economic boom, and his life is split between a submissive wife and an elegant, distant lover.

Renato De Maria directed and co-wrote the film with Valentina Strada and Federico Gnesini. It is the first of the four features he has directed, ahead of Robbing Mussolini, Vanished into the Night and Franco Battiato: The Long Journey. Riccardo Scamarcio plays Santo Russo, with Sara Serraiocco, Alessio Praticò, Alessandro Tedeschi, Marie-Ange Casta and Sara Cardinaletti in the main cast.

The Italian-French production, made by BiBi Film with Canal+, Ciné+ and RAI Cinema, runs 111 minutes. On IMDb and on TMDB, audience ratings place it around the middle of the scale, with the TMDB average at 6.3 from 433 votes.