In the Netflix series Supersex, we learn the life story of Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi. Don’t expect a second Boogie Nights, though. We’re in for a huge disappointment here.
“I shot 50 sex scenes in 95 days.” That’s what actor Alessandro Borghi told the online magazine Today.it in March 2023 about the creation of the Italian Netflix series Supersex. He immediately attracted attention. Just under a year later, the seven-part mini-series about porn star Rocco Siffredi premiered at the Berlinale 2024. But what’s behind the hype?
In the aforementioned interview, Borghi not only promised numerous sex scenes, but also a reckoning with Italian bigotry. He chose the controversial role of Rocco Siffredi to “have a bit of a row with everyone.” After the three episodes shown at the Berlinale Special Gala, however, disillusionment sets in. Supersex is anything but a bold Netflix project
New Netflix series: Supersex delves into the past of porn star Rocco Siffredi
At the beginning of the story, Rocco Siffredi (Borghi) is at the height of his career. He moves through the crowd in a flurry of flashbulbs, all eyes glued to him. He is one of the biggest stars in the industry, has been in the business for years and is more in demand than ever. This makes his announcement on camera that he wants to retire from the world of porn all the more surprising. Rocco Siffredi – that name used to be
Here you can watch the trailer for Supersex:
A ghost from the past sends a shiver down Rocco’s spine. It doesn’t take long for the series to leave the narrative present and plunge into the Italy of the 1960s and 1970s. In the idyllic harbor town of Ortona, young Rocco grows up surrounded by his family and eagerly awaits one event in particular: the return of his half-brother Tommaso (Adriano Giannini), his greatest hero.
Tommaso embodies everything that none of the other half-boys around Rocco are. Luck seems to fall effortlessly into his hands. He owns his own car and doesn’t have to worry about his appearance. Casual, charming and generous, he smiles his way into the hearts of the people of Ortona. But most importantly, he goes out with the most beautiful girl in town. Rocco wants to be just like him.
Read more: La Cocina is one of the best films of the Berlinale 2024
Netflix’s Supersex meanders unimaginatively from one station to the next in Rocco Siffredi’s life
In the course of time, a second great inspiration enters Rocco’s life: Supersex. The pornographic comic about the eponymous hero figure, whose superpower is sex, soon becomes his personal bible. He memorizes every crumpled page down to the smallest detail. Supersex lays the foundation for Rocco’s later career in the porn industry. But the start is not quite so straightforward
(Adriana Giannini as Tommaso in Supersex)
We repeatedly delve into Rocco’s past and get to know one stage of his eventful life story. The loss of a brother, the estrangement from his family and the discovery of Paris as the ultimate place of love (and broken hearts): The center of the series is his relationship with Tommaso. From episode to episode, more abysses, quarrels and violence are revealed.
Adriano Giannini plays himself into the series as a threatening, impulsive presence. He is the ghost that gives Rocco no peace in the present and acts as the narrative motor for his suffering. Something devastating has happened between the two of them. However, this secret, which is hesitantly revealed, is not enough to turn Supersex into a gripping story. Because everything around it is completely uninspired.
Read more: Sasquatch Sunset entertains and frustrates at the Berlinale
Supersex lacks its own superpower: A Netflix series from the assembly line at the Berlinale
From the monotonous narrative structure, which only ticks off the obligatory points to explain the characters’ basic motivation, to the completely meaningless look, which only needs a few neon lights to conjure up a nightclub atmosphere: Supersex joins the ranks of the many interchangeable Netflix series that have no cinematic identity of their own, even though the template could hardly be more exciting.
(Saul Nanni as young Rocco Siffredi in Supersex)
Supersex should have the same energy with which Paul Thomas Anderson bundles the story of (fictional) porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights. The film is both drama and satire. A gripping look behind the scenes of the industry that mercilessly sketches its decline and still lets us live a piece of the dream. Unfortunately, Supersex doesn’t feel as vivid at any second.
The first three episodes rush through Siffredi’s career with the bare minimum of interest needed to get from one place to another. The questions about (toxic) masculinity, gender roles and society’s perception of the world Rocco is immersed in are only scratched. The dichotomy between business and feelings, between porn and passion, is also barely tangible.
Read on to find out more: Spaceman, the better Netflix project at the Berlinale
And Supersex isn’t really a fight either. The series opts for harmlessness instead of bite. It steers clear of uncomfortable territory. Just don’t offend. Just no cheeky, startling decisions. Netflix has found a way to tell even the most unusual stories with a standardized indifference. Even Siffredi’s softest porn might have more rough edges
