Netflix’s “Supersex,” loosely based on the experiences of Rocco Siffredi, the real-life porn sensation known as “The Italian Stallion,” isn’t actually sexy at all. Instead, his seven-part series, created by Francesca Manieri, is a story about family, masculinity, and toxic bonds. The drama, starring Alessandro Borghi, has some interesting chapters, but elements of surrealism, such as some hallucinatory moments and the strange way some sex scenes were filmed, make it more than just a biography. It has become a thing. Instead, it’s an all-too-complicated exploration of relationships and the vices people fall into to escape emotional turmoil.
“Supersex” opens in Parisi in 2004 with the world-famous Rocco speaking at a sex convention. Still young and energetic, he shocked the porn world by announcing his retirement. For Rocco, acting in porn has always been more than just a job, and to understand why, Manieri and the series’ director turn their lens to the Italian stallion’s past.
The series’ opening film, “Superpower,” functions primarily as a coming-of-age story. Following news of Rocco’s retirement, the show travels back in time to his 1974 year. Ten-year-old Rocco Tano feels trapped in the poor rural town of Ortona and lost in the chaos of his family life. His mother is devoted to his intellectually disabled older brother Claudio, and Rocco lives in the shadow of his charismatic half-brother Tommaso (Adriano Giannini). Tommaso is Rocco’s North Star. He represents a kind of freedom and hypermasculinity that is out of reach for Ortona’s men. Tommaso also falls in love with the most attractive woman in town, Lucia (Jasmine Trinca), and Rocco falls in love with him even more.
In addition to examining Rocco’s family relationships, “Supersex” focuses on his obsession with sex, which begins at an early age. The series reveals his love for Lucia and his subsequent discovery of the pornographic magazine “Supersex” starring Gabriel Pontello. The euphoria that comes from observing and then engaging in sex is a feeling that Rocco pursues for the next 30 years. However, his sex work has come at a cost to his mental health. It also destroys the romance and family bonds he is trying to form and maintain.
Interestingly, the birth of porn legend Rocco Siffredi is not depicted in the series. This nickname was taken from gangster Roc Siffredi in the 1970 French film Borsalino, but Rocco’s transformation from sex lover to full-fledged star happens in stages. While working as a young waiter at Tommaso’s Paris cafe, Rocco realizes the influence he has over women. This attention coincides with the economic and social status he wants to achieve. Still, his growing sexuality and eventual dominance in the porn industry came amid a rebellion against Tommaso.
Despite having admired Tommaso’s manliness all his life, his brother’s treatment of Lucia, who earns her living through sex work on the streets of Paris, gradually changes Rocco’s views. His invitation to a sex club awakens previously unknown desires. Although becoming a porn star provides him with financial stability, his inner turmoil stems from trying to live up to his family’s expectations of him.
“Supersex” dwells on the dysfunctional sibling relationship between Rocco and Tommaso for far too long, needlessly expounding on their toxic and exhausting relationship. Less episodes and time spent on the self-destructive cafe manager would have kept the storyline focused squarely on Rocco’s psyche. Moreover, Manieri positions Lucia’s life as a counterstory to Rocco’s. Like Loco’s female co-stars, she is not allowed the same agency or status that he gets. She says that women are both sexualized and vilified for being sexual. Lucia ends up on a new path, one that comes with pain and sacrifice that Rocco was never able to face. The pair is an interesting juxtaposition, but their dark attraction to Tommaso disrupts this mirroring. Similarly, Rocco’s enthusiasm for rough sex is never fully explored.
Still, “Supersex” makes some smart choices. Of course, intercourse and other types of sex are also shown, but these scenes are not superfluous. Instead, they depict Rocco’s emotional state as he deals with loss and longing, or demonstrates his worth.
The penultimate episode, “Resurrection of the Corpse,” is a standout, centering around Rocco’s return to Ortona during his mother’s illness, one of the biggest highlights of his career. , won Best European Actor at the Hot Doll Awards. At 53 minutes, Rocco faces the effects of shame and how his so-called family reacts to him when he no longer follows his family’s rules.
Rocco’s story is well-written, but audiences expecting a bio-series-like story won’t find it here. It’s also worth noting that this show is best viewed in Italian with subtitles, although Netflix also offers an English dubbed version. Overall, “Supersex” is not just an examination of one man’s life and career, but a look at the lives people create when they seek to navigate the world as their most authentic, even if unconventional, selves. is.
“Supersex” will premiere on Netflix on March 6th.
