Prime Video's High-Octane International Crime Thriller

When it comes to big-budget, high-octane narco thrillers set on both sides of the Atlantic, not even Hollywood can compete with ZeroZeroZero. This Italian miniseries is as action-packed as any major American blockbuster, as it brings Roberto Saviano’s eye-opening non-fiction account of international cocaine trafficking to the small screen.

Developed and directed by crime thriller specialist and longtime Taylor Sheridan collaborator Stefano Sollima, ZeroZeroZero is a masterclass in sustaining full-throttle action across several episodes of television. Given its status as an international release, it remains one of Prime Video’s hidden gems, undiscovered by most viewers in the United States.

Nevertheless, anyone who does discover the show will find a miniseries with more action in it than most of the streaming platforms multiseason headline series. ZeroZeroZero simply doesn’t let up for eight episodes, yet is far from a one-paced crime drama, thanks to the expert handling of its complex plot.

What Is ZeroZeroZero About?

Starring Andrea Riseborough, Gabriel Byrne and Dane DeHaan alongside an all-star international cast, ZeroZeroZero tells the story of a cocaine shipment destined for Southern Italy that goes horribly wrong. The show’s title refers to the common Italian numerical code for the finest flour available, which doubles up as a slang term for the highest-quality type of cocaine on the market.

Rather than drug lord-themed shows like Narcos, which tend to focus on a single kingpin at the head of a vast crime operation, this gritty thriller is an ensemble piece that treats every angle of its story more-or-less equally. We see each step of a perilous journey, featuring drug smugglers of various stripes and nationalities.

ZeroZeroZero Is Not An Easy Watch

ZeroZeroZeroHarold Torres in ZeroZeroZero Season 1 on Amazon Prime

Few narco thrillers are as ambitious in scope as ZeroZeroZero, which emphasizes the truly international nature of the illicit drug-trafficking industry in the most authentic terms. During the course of the miniseries, we’re forced to confront everyone from Mexican cartel bosses to American shipping magnates, and Moroccan contractors.

ZeroZeroZero’s cast is drawn from all these countries and more, ensuring the show is truly representative of reality. However, the level of realism on display in the show extends to some truly harrowing scenes, from a shootout between a corrupt militia and a drugs gang at a children’s party, to multiple instances of torture.

This miniseries is not for the faint-hearted. But for action fans who don’t mind some uncomfortable truths about the drug business being mixed in with scintillating set-pieces, it’s a TV show that raises the bar for most Hollywood blockbusters.

ZeroZeroZero’s Creator Is A Master Of Crime Thriller

Andrea Riseborough and Dane DeHaan in ZeroZeroZero Season 1 on Amazon Prime

We shouldn’t be all that surprised that ZeroZeroZero is so well-made, given who’s behind the series. Co-creator and director Stefano Sollima has also helmed modern-day crime classics like the Taylor Sheridan movies Without Remorse and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, as well as another dark Italian TV crime thriller, Gomorrah.

Few directors in the world of film and TV today are able to tell a crime story onscreen as slick and sophisticated as Sollima’s best work. Although his collaborations with Sheridan might have brought him more attention in the English-speaking world, ZeroZeroZero is his career masterpiece to date.