Originally titled ACAB: The Series, Public Disorder is a new Italian thriller drama series released globally on Netflix, with a runtime of nearly 6 hours, spread across six episodes. The play is an adaptation of Carlo Bonini’s novel, titled “ACAB: All Cops Are Bastards,” which had also been made into a film in 2012.
The plot focuses on a specific squad of the Mobile Police Unit in Rome, who find themselves embroiled in controversy after a night of horrific clashes between the law and protesters, all while the police personnel also have to deal with their own personal struggles. While Public Disorder is a decent series overall, its exact message, or stance regarding police brutality, arguably remains a bit unclear.
Creator: Filippo Gravino
Stars: Adriano Giannini, Marco Giallini, Valentina Bellè
Public Disorder begins on a night of immense tension, as a squad of the Mobile Police Unit in Rome awaits orders regarding a protest site in the Val di Susa region of Turin. Having waited for many hours inside their designated van, the team is finally called into action as the squad members check in with each other before a hard night of work. Marta, the only female member of the group, makes sure that Salvatore, her youngest and most unpredictable colleague, is in a good emotional state.
One of the squad's most experienced and revered members, Mazinga, speaks to his friend and team leader, Pietro, when he notices the latter looking evidently distressed, only to learn that Pietro's wife, Anna, has decided to leave him. But the police personnel have to put aside all their personal matters for the moment as the squad is ordered to rush to the protest site and contain the situation. But with hundreds of hostile people gathered to protest against the construction of a railway that would destroy nature at the site, it's no easy task for Pietro and his group.
The unit is unable to deal with the situation as it only escalates, with Molotov cocktails being thrown at the riot squad and any police personnel in the area. In a more worrying development, Pietro is suddenly hit by an explosive, leaving him horribly injured and requiring immediate medical attention. As the team leader has to be taken away in an ambulance, with his life literally at risk, Mazinga takes charge of the squad and decides to show the protesters that the police can respond in kind. Using their riot shields and batons, the police personnel physically confront the protesters and bring out their tougher side. They soon rush to an area by a river, and there a clash with another group of protesters occurs, although we are not shown this in detail. The incident leaves several protesters injured, and perhaps maimed, but more importantly a young man among them is left with horrific injuries and has to be rushed to hospital for treatment. Within just a couple of days, the victim falls into a coma and his mother calls on the police force to take charge of his tragic state.
Naturally, the Mobile Unit, specifically responsible for handling riot situations, is held accountable, albeit internally, as higher authorities begin to investigate the matter. However, all members decide to remain silent about the incident, under the leadership of Mazinga, who still feels that the protesters deserved such treatment, after injuring and maiming his close friend, Pietro. Thus, an intense series of interrogations follows, during which some of the team members begin to question what is right and what is wrong, while also having to deal with dilemmas in their personal lives. Thus, moral and ethical decisions cross the wall that divides their professional and personal worlds, making it even more difficult for the characters to maintain a balance in their lives.
It is predominantly on the characters that Public Disorder focuses, with the basic idea being that every human being has their own flaws. The series begins with a number of police members who are presented in very bold shades of good and evil. Mazinga is shown as a morally corrupt person who does not care about the lives of citizens and would do anything to protect his fellow police officers, even if it means committing more crimes. On the other hand, the newly appointed leader of the unit, Michele, is shown as a morally upright and extremely upright police officer who would not hesitate to put his subordinates' jobs, or even his own, at risk to ensure that justice is served. Even Marta is given a generally pleasant personality, while Salvo is very intense from the start.
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