They Call Me Jeeg

They Call Me Jeeg (Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot, 2016) is an Italian sci-fi drama by Gabriele Mainetti you can watch online on iFILM. Enzo Ceccotti is a sullen petty thief from the Rome outskirts. Fleeing the police, he dives into the Tiber, swallows a dose of radioactive waste and climbs out with superhuman strength.

At first Enzo just rips ATMs open with his bare hands. Everything shifts when he meets Alessia, a mentally fragile young woman who recognizes him as the hero from her favorite anime, Steel Jeeg. She believes he is a savior, and that belief slowly draws something human out of the brutish loner. Standing in his way is Zingaro, a cartoonish yet genuinely vicious gangster played by Luca Marinelli. Claudio Santamaria bulked up for the role and barely speaks, acting with his face and his fists.

Mainetti's debut turns the superhero genre into a grimy Roman crime fable and swept seven David di Donatello awards, including honors for best new director. It is harsh, unexpectedly tender and a world away from Hollywood. Stream They Call Me Jeeg (2016) online on iFILM.