Robbing Mussolini

Milan, April 1945. The air smells like revolution, desperation, and cheap tobacco. Mussolini is planning his final retreat, and rumor has it he’s packing a literal king’s ransom in gold and jewels to fund his escape. Most people would be hiding in a cellar, but Isola—played with a restless, modern twitch by Pietro Castellitto—sees a business opportunity. This isn't your grandfather’s neorealist war drama; this is a slick, neon-drenched, comic-book-infused heist that feels like it was filmed inside a fever dream of a 1940s Italian Vogue editor.

I watched this on a Tuesday evening while trying to assemble a flat-pack bookshelf, and honestly, Isola’s plan to rob the most guarded fascist headquarters in Italy was significantly more organized than my attempt to use an Allen wrench. It’s that kind of movie: high energy, low stakes (despite the gunfire), and perfectly designed for the "What should we watch tonight?" Netflix scroll.

The Milanese Job

At its heart, Robbing Mussolini (Rapiniamo il Duce) is a "getting the team together" flick. You’ve seen the beats before, but rarely with this much Italian flair. We have Isola, the bootlegger with a heart of gold (and a desire for more of it); Yvonne (Matilda De Angelis), the nightclub singer who is dating the wrong guy; and a ragtag crew that includes an explosives expert, a legendary race car driver (Tommaso Ragno), and even a professional thief.

Director Renato De Maria knows we’ve seen Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job. He isn't trying to reinvent the wheel; he’s trying to put chrome rims on it. The film leans heavily into its contemporary streaming identity, using stylized graphic novel transitions to introduce characters and jump-cut editing that keeps the 99-minute runtime moving like a getaway car. It’s a bold choice for a historical setting, essentially saying, "We’re here for a good time, not a history lesson," and for the first hour, the sheer charisma of the cast carries it. Matilda De Angelis is particularly magnetic; when she sings in the smoky Cabiria club, the movie stops being a heist and starts being a moody noir, proving she can command a screen with nothing but a microphone and a spotlight.

Style Over Substance (But What Style!)

The cinematography by Gian Filippo Corticelli is the real star here. Milan is reimagined as a dark, rainy, high-contrast playground. The fascist headquarters looks like a fortress out of a Batman comic, and the use of color—vivid reds and deep blacks—gives the film a visual punch that many modern digital releases lack. It feels expensive. It feels curated.

However, the film occasionally trips over its own shoelaces by trying to be too many things at once. It wants to be a gritty war story, a slapstick comedy, and a high-fashion heist. Sometimes these tones clash like a plaid shirt with striped pants. The villains, led by Filippo Timi as the obsessive Achille Borsalino, are dialed up to eleven. Filippo Timi plays Borsalino with such scenery-chewing intensity that you expect him to start twirling a mustache at any second. He’s a cartoonish fascist who treats the Geneva Convention like a suggestion box, which fits the comic-book vibe but occasionally saps the actual tension from the heist. If the bad guys are this incompetent, does the plan even need to be that good?

The score, composed by David Holmes—the same genius behind the Ocean’s trilogy—is a masterstroke. It’s funky, rhythmic, and adds a layer of "cool" that the script doesn't always earn on its own. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to put on a fedora and commit a minor crime.

A Revisionist Riot

In the current era of "revisionist history" cinema (think Inglourious Basterds or Sisu), Robbing Mussolini finds a comfortable, if slightly shallow, niche. It’s part of a growing trend of European cinema using streaming budgets to reclaim their own history through the lens of Hollywood genres. It’s fascinating to see an Italian production take a figure as dark as Mussolini and turn his downfall into a backdrop for a lighthearted caper. It’s a sign of a film industry that is finally comfortable playing with its own ghosts.

The action choreography in the final act is surprisingly sturdy. There’s a sequence involving a crane and a very large trunk of gold that manages to be both tense and funny, showcasing some impressive practical stunt work. While the CGI fire and explosions occasionally look a bit "streaming-standard," the physical movement of the actors and the use of authentic-looking period vehicles give the climax a satisfying weight. It doesn't quite reach the heights of its inspirations, but it’s a perfectly polished piece of content that knows exactly when to quit.

Robbing Mussolini is a stylish, breezy heist that prioritizes vibes over historical accuracy. While it lacks the emotional depth to become a classic, it’s a neon-lit joyride through a reimagined 1945. Come for the incredible outfits and Matilda De Angelis's singing; stay for the satisfying sight of a dictator's loot being driven away by a bunch of lovable misfits. It’s a solid Friday night pick that won’t change your life, but it’ll certainly entertain your evening.