Very well produced and directed. Great music department with forgotten gems of the '80s from Italy. Unfortunately it's just a nice package without any solid content from a storyline, setting or characterization perspective. Started watching it without much hope, soon sped up at 1,5x, and still got bored by ep3.
When I wondered what was supposed to be the target audience I couldn't find one. The original but ultimately unsuccessful mix of surreal coming of age story, gritty historical setting and comic-like crime comedy delivers too much stuff that isn't going to cater to any audience.
The actual target is likely the population of 15-30yo
but will they care about the distant and uneventful historical setting or will they just be bored? If we think instead to the italian 50yo who lived through those years - the intended target by the producers I guess - lots of elements fall flat or result anachronistically out of place. Should anyone care about the lovable homages and careful reconstruction of pop culture elements of the time when we are in the meantime presented such a stereotyped Italy filled with anachronistic sensitivity towards men-women parity and openess of sexual behaviours? Or what about the unbelievable depiction of how 'Ndrangheta acts: where are the soldiers and the bodyguards of a poweful criminal organization? Why aren't they involved in the daily activities? Why dozens of people - kids included - seem allowed to listen to mob meetings?
And even forgiving some plot holes the 2 main actors - Alice and her grandmother - result weak. The first has no subtlety and looks constantly as if she's seen a ghost (the script here didn't help). The granny instead isn't menacing in the least, while supposedly being a ruthless mob boss.
Reminded me of other recent quirky series - "Briarpatch", "Happy", "Barry" or "Killing Eve" - for their love of the grotesque and the surreal. Productions that - equally and without exception - feel like lacking "something" in the writing dept to be considered great (even the best ones like "Barry" or "Killing Eve"). In the comparison with such productions "Bang Bang Baby" ends up as a good or very good series. Still a good production alone isn't worth more than a 5/10 IMHO and - exactly like for "Briarpatch" and "Happy", the plot crumbles very soon. 1 point more if you're an italian 50yo.
