Romulus

Set in eighth century B.C., Romulus retells the early days around the legendary founding of Rome through a gritty, ground-level lens. The narrative follows a small group of people whose lives are shaped by loss, solitude and brutality as rival bands compete for shelter, resources and status. Instead of focusing only on the famous twins, the series filters the unfolding events through several viewpoints, showing how primitive law, ritual and personal ambition push characters into violent choices. The tone is raw and unforgiving, and the show favors short, tense scenes that reveal how myths can grow out of real, often ugly human struggles.

Created by Matteo Rovere and released in 2020, the series adapts material from the Rome origin myth rather than a single book, and it features Andrea Arcangeli, Francesco Di Napoli, Marianna Fontana, Sergio Romano and Valentina Bellè in key roles. Production values emphasize practical sets and a stripped-back aesthetic to evoke the era, and the show was positioned as a bold reinterpretation of a familiar legend.

There are no widely reported major international awards tied to the series, though it did generate attention in its home market for its ambition and stylistic risks. Any festival notices or smaller accolades tended to focus on production design and performances rather than mainstream prize circuits.

Romulus has had modest but clear cultural traction, especially among viewers interested in historical reinventions and darker, more violent origin stories. It prompted conversations about how national myths can be retold through harsher, more realistic lenses, and it influenced interest in similar gritty historical productions in Italian television over the following seasons.

Critical and audience responses were mixed, reflected in an average viewer score around 6.1 out of 10. Reviewers praised the show's atmosphere, physical performances and willingness to unsettle, while some found the pacing slow and the brutality excessive. Recurring themes include the making of authority, ritualized violence, survival ethics and the way personal loyalties bend under pressure, all framed within a vision that refuses comforting heroism.