‘Public Disorder’ Netflix Series Review - Surprisingly Good, Complex, and Engaging

The opening scenes of Public Disorder (aka, A.C.A.B. La serie), or let's say the first episode itself, are not very promising. We grasp what is being told to us by the series, but the events are not attention-grabbing. The riot police force, led by Mazinga (Marco Giallini), beat up a few kids near a river, and one of his officers is injured on duty. On the next day, Mazinga and his team learn that one of the kids has now entered a coma, which puts them on the radar of the investigative committee. Everybody in Team Mazinga, though, has each other's back, which is why they make up a story and stick with it. So far, so good. The issue, however, comes primarily in the form of poorly lit images - they look dull and chintzy. You can understand why they look like this (Public Disorder is gloomy; all the characters are suffering), but that doesn't cover up the fact that you feel as if someone had covered the camera with mud before shooting the scenes. The images never become better, but Public Disorder slowly becomes more and more engaging.

At first, I was iffy about the riot scenes. They never grabbed me with their violent intensity. Eventually, I realized that this was probably the point. These moments aren't meant to be "thrilling" or "exciting." They merely depict an activity where two sides do their duty. We initially identify with TAV protestors because they, after all, exercise their right. The riot police, by beating them mercilessly, appear corrupt and repulsive. Mazinga even says something along the lines of wanting to crack the skulls of these "criminals" who break rules and destroy peace. What's more, Mazinga and his men - and a woman - try to hide their involvement in the beating of those kids. Public Disorder, in other words, gives you the impression of watching a series about the ugly side of the police. The message could as well be, "Some men in uniform use their power to torture the innocent public." Giallini's Mazinga, with wrinkles and white hair, belongs to a generation that prefers "unorthodox techniques." His motto: Pick up the baton and beat anything that moves in front of your eyes. This is the notion he promotes among the members of his team, and the effect is evident in the way the men behave cockily.

Marta (Valentina Bellè) isn't like these men. She is confident, all right, but she is also the first character in Mazinga's group to display warmth, kindness, and resistance. Marta, unlike others, doesn't sign a letter condemning Michele (Adriano Giannini) because she doesn't respond with "yes sir" to everything. Maybe it's her daughter and her disturbing past that immediately separates Marta from other members of her team. There is also a slight symmetry between her and Michele, who has gained a bad reputation for being a snitch. Both characters have young daughters who come in contact with the negative forces present outside (to avoid spoilers, I won't go into specifics). This is one of the threads which reveals the dramatic strength of this series. Michele looks down upon Mazinga's violent methods, but circumstances force him to go down this "torturous road" eventually. Public Disorder basically indicates that your morality and your ideas disappear from your mind when pain comes into your personal boundary. The more time you spend with Public Disorder, the more complex facets of it you see.

For instance, when Michele protects a woman from an angry mob and emphasizes the importance of his duty, he appears brave and heroic. However, when Michele becomes suspicious of someone very close to him, we begin to see him in a different light. This is the beauty of Public Disorder - it prevents us from forming a fixed opinion about the characters on screen. Everybody exists in a gray area. Even Mazinga, after some time, becomes soft and friendly. A police officer is scammed by a woman, and we neither feel sorry for him nor do we consider it as some sort of comeuppance (he, too, remains mum about that incident related to that kid). The protestors aren't always right, either; they gather to evict a foreigner from a building, and people clash in the streets after a game, destroying public property. There is a man who physically assaults women but loves his daughter deeply. Since nothing is black and white, we don't find ourselves rooting for any particular character to win or something. This isn't a flaw; rather, it intensifies our reaction to the series. A conventional show would have placed you on one side, one perspective. Public Disorder encourages you to observe everything closely, providing all the necessary details before allowing you to make up your mind about whatever you have seen. This is why that ending works so beautifully. It's strangely magical and moving.

Public Disorder introduces a myriad of characters, yet it manages to give each of them an equal amount of screen time. You recognize every face, every name, and this is no small feat. I wish that the kidnapping and subsequent torture of a boy had been treated not only as a point but also as a story. What happens to him after this incident? How does his family respond to the situation? His father is a powerful lawyer - what course of action does he take? Moreover, a father-son reconciliation feels too convenient and too tidy (it's neatly wrapped up). It lacks the emotional weight that such a significant event should bring. Yet, despite these criticisms, Public Disorder has so many pluses that they outweigh the minuses. Its strengths compensate for its shortcomings. Hence, don't dismiss the show instantly. Be patient, stick with it, and you might enjoy it.

Final Score- [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times