Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Gomorrah: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 8, 2022

"Gomorrah: Season Two" (2016) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus features on the release are original trailers for the other seasons in the series. In Italian or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

We go separate ways now.

Season Two opens up where Season One ended. While being transported to a different facility, the supposedly cognitively impaired Don Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino) is freed by his men and escorted to a secure location in Germany. Shortly after, while looking every bit as sharp and angry as he was on the night when he was detained, Don Pietro declares that he intends to reclaim what has been taken away from him.

But in a different part of Secondigliano Ciro di Marzio (Marco D'Amore) convinces the heads of the area’s biggest clans to join the Alliance -- a ‘democratic’ entity where they all pool their resources, buy massive amounts of drugs at the same heavily discounted price, and then sell them to the local junkies in the territories they control. The drugs are secretly imported by Don Salvatore Conte (Marco Palvetti), Don Pietro’s biggest rival. Despite some minor disagreements between different clan leaders and their soldiers, for a while the Alliance operates exactly as envisioned by Ciro.

But tensions rise again when a reformed Genny Savastano (Salvatore Esposito) secretly reenters Italy and word gets out that he has formed a business partnership with powerful Honduran drug lords which will allow him to flood the area, maybe even the entire country, with their product. As Don Salvatore begins plotting how to permanently neutralize Genny and the rest of the Savastano clan, Don Pietro’s men prepare his secret return to Naples.

With the help of his right-hand man, Malammore (Fabio De Caro) and his new ‘messenger’, Patrizia (Cristiana Dell’Anna), Don Pietro tricks different members of the Alliance to begin targeting each other, while Ciro becomes his ultimate target. However, his relationship with Genny further deteriorates as well.

Season Two has twelve episodes, each again approximately an hour long, that premiered in the summer of 2016. Three were directed by Stefano Sollima, three by Francesca Comencini, four by Claudio Cupellini, and two by Claudio Giovannesi.

In terms of production quality Season Two is every bit as impressive as Season One, though in some areas it clearly reveals greater confidence and ultimately ambitions. For example, while the intensity of the drama remains the same, the scope of the action is expanded because now there are even more characters that are closely followed by the camera. Also, while Ciro and Genny remain the central characters whose decisions constantly redirect the drama, there is crucial material where they are essentially left in the shadows. The best such material features Ciro’s childhood friend, Rosario (absolutely terrific Lino Musella), and Don Pietro’s new confidante, Patrizia, who eventually gets the chance to replace the late Donna Immacolata.

The footage from Secondigliano is once again breathtaking. The camera visits various crumbling buildings and underground parking lots where real dealers and killers have undoubtedly done business. Also, during the raids and chases there is some tremendous tracking and aerial camerawork that routinely places the viewer at the center of the action.

Then there is the constant movement of people in front and around the camera that are clearly not paid actors, which is one of the main reasons the series is so bone-chilling. Simply put, even some of the bloodiest and most chaotic footage does not look staged. The camera just happens to be in middle of it all, preserving a grand, modern-day Neapolitan tragedy, the likes of which has never before been witnessed outside of Secondigliano.

Gomorrah: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gomorrah: Season Two arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The twelve episodes of Season One were placed on three discs. On this release, the twelve episodes of Season Two are placed on four discs, and I think that this made a difference because this time I could not spot even a whiff of aliasing on my system. In fact, I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. Delineation, sharpness, clarity, and depth looked terrific, while the existing spectrum of colors is simply breathtaking. (For what it's worth, I think that the series might have been finalized in 4K, so all of this content can probably look even a tad more impressive). Image stability is outstanding. All in all, Gomorrah is an incredible production that looks superb on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Gomorrah: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. (For what it's worth, the bulk of the dialog is actually in Neapolitan, and plenty of it incorporates some local slang). Optional English subtitles are provided.

I spent plenty of time going back and forth between the Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks because on Season One there was only an Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. In a few of the mass action scenes there is definitely more happening on the 5.1 track, but I still think that the 2.0 track is superb. Honestly, folks, it is up to you to decide which track to use, but I just can't imagine how you can be even partially underwhelmed if you choose to view all episodes with the 2.0 track. The English translation is excellent.

Gomorrah: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - each disc has original trailers for Gomorrah Season Two, Season Three, and Season Four.

Gomorrah: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have been sitting on the sidelines unsure whether to give Gomorrah a chance, it is time that you pick up Season One and Season Two for your library. (Season Three and Season Four are coming soon as well). It is an incredible series I would rank way ahead of The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Braquo and Romanzo Criminale. I can't imagine how you can be disappointed by it because it gets absolutely everything right, even the Neapolitan lingo that you will hear if you gather the courage to visit some of the areas where its characters clash. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.