We dreamed of a scintillating distraction and the internet delivered. The House Of Gucci is finally here. When the trailer for this long-awaited fashion biopic landed, it piqued more than a bit of interest in the movie which follows the ascent and assassination of Maurizio Gucci, former boss of the Italian fashion house. And with the premiere over, we finally get to see the full film for ourselves. But how much of House Of Gucci is actually based on a true story?
The most enthralling of these behind-the-scenes teasers we've been treated to this year showed Adam Driver, wrapped in a cable-knit jumper and thick-rimmed spectacles, standing before the perfect Alpine scene.
Beside him is the villain of the piece, the ‘Black widow’ as Maurizio’s murderous wife Patrizia Reggiani was renamed by the Milanese media. In case you hadn’t heard (is your phone broken?), she is played by Lady Gaga.
There is no need to wait until you make it to the cinema to conclude that director Ridley Scott is a casting genius. From these first glimpses, it also seems fair to speculate that we have some pretty thrilling on-screen fashion headed our way. Undoubtedly, Gaga’s Patrizia Reggiani has plenty of style inspiration to offer with her swathes of gold chains, mink Cossack hats and attention to full throttle glamour at whatever the cost. For the jumper-obsessed British public, Driver’s cable knit is also proverbial catnip.
But it is the plot line of the high fashion whodunnit (you literally couldn’t make it up) that is the real reason to watch.
In the briefest of terms - Sara G. Forden wrote a whole book on the matter - House of Gucci follows the real life events of an Italian socialite who organised the killing of her ex-husband and the father to her two young daughters in 1995.
Maurizio Gucci, grandson of Gucci founder and heir to their fashion house was one of Italy's wealthiest men before he was gunned down on the steps of his building by a hitman.
During the heyday of their relationship the couple, who married in 1972, were famed for their lavish lifestyle. Reggiani, who was rarely without a pair of dark glasses, was dubbed the “Milanese Elizabeth Taylor” while Gucci was considered an entitled rich kid and a fairly useless businessman who nearly put the family fashion empire into the ground.
While we’ll have to wait to see which elements of the story Scott chooses to focus his camera on, it’s Reggiani’s part in this tale that will make for the most thrilling cinema. As quotable as Karl Lagerfeld, she famously said: 'I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle' and made a career out of racking up bills. A cultural antihero, she sailed the Caribbean on a 200-foot yacht and had an orchid habit which is said to have set the Gucci dynasty back £9,000 per month.
The couple, who were the 1980s answer to Kim and Kanye where media interest is concerned, parted ways in 1985 when Gucci left his family to move in with his mistress. Ten years later, Reggiani ordered his killing.
When she was charged for the involvement in her husband’s murder, Reggiani starred in a courtroom drama that gripped Italy — think OJ Simpson levels of interest with Tom Ford designing the suits. Among the most fascinating details to emerge was that Reggiani had hired four accomplices to carry out Gucci's murder, one of whom was a psychic.
When she was asked by a reporter why she hadn’t shot her husband herself, Reggiani responded: 'I didn’t want to miss.'
Speaking to Grazia at the House Of Gucci premiere, Gaga explained how Reggiani's motivation remains an endless source of fascination. 'A lot of people don’t know this but when she married Mauritzio Gucci, his entire family had turned their back on him so she didn’t marry for money [as many believe]’
Gaga also points out that while many believe Reggiani had ordered a hit on Gucci for his money, she was no longer married to him at the time. ‘When he was murdered, they were divorced so there was nothing financially at stake for her. Which I found fascinating as a woman because [if it’s not for money] then it’s because she was hurt. Then it’s because it was love.’
The Best True Crime Documentaries On Netflix
Tinder Swindler
Swipe, swipe, swipe… It's not easy to find love online, so when Cecilie matches with a handsome billionaire playboy, she can't quite believe it when he turns out to be the man of her dreams. But dreams aren't reality and by the time she discovers this international businessman isn't who he says he is, it's too late. He's taken her for everything. Where this fairytale ends, a revenge thriller begins. Cecilie discovers his other targets and once they band together, they're victims no more: THE TINDER SWINDLER meets his match. From the producers of 'The Imposter' and 'Don't F**k with Cats', this riveting feature documentary follows as they uncover his true identity and fight to bring him to justice.
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story
Jimmy Savile rose to prominence in a career spanning decades in the entertainment industry in the UK. He had raised millions for charity, been knighted by the Queen and achieved national treasure status by the time he died on the 29th October 2011. His funeral was broadcast live on the BBC. Since his death, independent investigations and those made by Scotland Yard uncovered that Savile had been a prolific and predatory sex offender, abusing hundreds of people, some as young as 5.To date, more than 450 allegations of sexual assault and abuse have been made against him. The documentary examines, through extensive archive footage, Savile's relationship with the British people, the establishment and the media to understand how he managed to fool an entire nation for so long.
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King
In the paranoid world of cryptocurrency there's only one rule – Trust No One. So when Gerry Cotten, the CEO of Canada's largest Cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX, dies in mysterious circumstances, he takes the password to $250 million of customers' funds to the grave.A group of horrified investors refuse to accept the official narrative. They believe Gerry's 'death' has all the hallmarks of an 'exit scam,' that he is still alive and has run off with their money. This is the thrilling story of their investigation into a dark world where no one and nothing is what it seems. Will they be able to unravel the mystery at the heart of Quadriga, find Gerry Cotten, and finally get their money back?
The Ripper
Chronicling the twists and turns of the largest police manhunt in British police history, this evocative four part series re-examines the crimes within the context of England in the late 1970s: a time of radical change, de-industrialisation, poverty, masculinity and misogyny, all of which contributed to the Ripper evading capture for so long.
Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
After a video of a mysterious figure killing two kittens is posted online, a group of amateur online sleuths launches a risky manhunt to find and catch the killer. In an insane game of cat-and-mouse, they follow him around the world until they uncover his true identity, bringing them into a dark underworld.
Athlete A
Athlete A follows the heart-breaking true story of Maggie Nichols and other USA gymnasts as they were betrayed by USA Gymnastics, the organisation that should have been keeping them safe. Led by reporters from The Indianapolis Star, this documentary gives an inside look at how Dr Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts was exposed, landing him behind bars.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Colorado in 2018. This documentary, led entirely by archival footage and social media posts, pieces together the hours and days after their disappearance, giving a voice to the victims for the first time.
Trial By Media
This six-part Netflix documentary series reflects on how some of the most dramatic and memorable trials in recent history have been transformed into a form of entertainment by the media.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
In 2004, 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown was arrested for the murder of a 43-year-old man who had picked her up for sex. Tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison, Cyntoia's fate seemed sealed, but in 2019 – after a decade of legal challenges – Governor Bill Haslam granted her request for clemency.
Trial 4
After being charged as a teenager in the 1993 killing of a Boston police officer, Sean K Ellis faces his fourth trial as he fights to prove his innocence and expose the corrupt system that put him away for over two decades.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
Told through interviews with friends, former teammates, and insiders to the case, this docu-series looks at how NFL star Aaron Hernandez went from a rising American football player to a convicted killer.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
This shocking, heart-breaking series looks at how the case of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez was able to fall through the cracks of the LA government systems that were there to protect him, despite multiple reports to authorities and warning signs.
Abducted in Plain Sight
Abducted in Plain Sight is a wild ride, so buckle up. The story starts in 1974 when 12-year-old Jan Broberg is abducted from her small community in Idaho by a trusted neighbour and close family friend. She's then returned home to her parents...only to be adducted again by the same man. It'll shock you the whole way through.
Casting JonBenét
Child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was killed in her family home in Boulder, Colorado in 1996 at only six years old. A handwritten ransom note was found in the house and her father found her body in their basement eight hours after she was reported missing, but her murder has never been solved. This documentary explores the case two decades later.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a case that most of us are familiar with as the tragedy was felt around the world. This documentary series looks into the details of the 3-year-old's disappearance from the seaside resort of Praia de Luz, Portugal while on holiday with her family.
The Alcàsser Murders
In November 1992, three girls — Miriam García Iborra, Antonia "Toñi" Gómez Rodríguez and Desirée Hernández Folch — in Valencia, Spain were kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered after hitchhiking a ride to a nearby nightclub. This Spanish docu-series looks into new interviews and evidence to try to shine light on their murders.
Out of Thin Air
This documentary picks up 40 years after six people were convicted for two unusual murders in Iceland, proving that confessions aren't always what they seem.
Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Before being caught in 1978, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was able to hide in plain sight for years while committing the horrific rapes and murders of more than 30 women. This documentary allows us to get inside the head of one of America's worst killers in a way never before possible by showing exclusive, never-before-heard interviews with Bundy himself.
The Confession Killer
American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was convicted of murdering eleven people between 1960-1983; however, he rose to infamy after confessing to hundreds of murders to the Texas Rangers. This documentary tries to find the truth about how many people he was guilty of killing.
The Innocent Man
This six-part documentary, based on John Grisham's best-selling book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, focuses on two murders that shook the small town of Ada, Oklahoma in the 1980s.
The Staircase
In 2001, Kathleen Peterson, wife of novelist Michael Peterson, was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their family home. Michael claimed she fell down the stairs, but the medical examiner determined she had been beaten with a weapon, leading to Michael becoming a murder suspect. This series, which began in 2005 and was then updated in 2013 and 2018, follows the investigation of Michael Peterson for his wife's murder.
Dirty Money
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Amanda Knox
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Making a Murderer Part One
This docu-series was filmed over a 10-year period and tells the real-life story of DNA exoneree Steven Avery who finds himself the prime suspect of a murder investigation while in the middle of exposing corruption within local law enforcement.
Making a Murderer Part Two
Part two picks up where part one left off, this time with a focus on Avery's nephew Brendan Dassey.
The Investigator: A British Crime Story
This documentary focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Carole Packman, who vanished without a trace in 1985, and the man convicted of her murder — her husband.
Dirty John: The Dirty Truth
This documentary tells the real-life story of Debra Newell, who falls in love with serial con-man John Meehan.
Dirty John
This is a fictionalised version of the story of Debra Newell and John Meehan. Newell is played by Connie Britton and her amazing hair, so it's definitely worth a watch.
American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson
In 1994, American footballer and actor O.J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole. This dramatisation of the murder trial looks at both sides.
Mindhunter, season 1
Based on true events, this series tells the story of FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they found the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and begin to investigate the minds of serial killers with help from psychologist Wendy Carr. They meet and interview notorious serial killers, such as Ed Kemper, Montie Rissell, and Jerry Brudos.
Mindhunter, season 2
Season two picks up where season one left off, and sees Agent Ford focuses on the Atlanta Child Murders in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1980s.
The Devil Next Door
This documentary tells the crazy-but-true story of John Demjanjuk, a retired Ukranian-American autoworker living in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio in the 1980s with his wife and children, who is accused by Holocaust survivors of being 'Ivan the Terrible,' a notorious Nazi death camp guard who is known for torturing and killing nearly 1 million Jewish prisoners.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
In 1997, Gianni Versace is shot in front of his Miami mansion by Andrew Cunanan. This fictionalised version of the facts looks at defining moments in Andrew Cunanan's life, starting in childhood and leading up to his murder spree.
Wild Wild Country
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Evil Genius
Known as the 'pizza bomber heist,' this four-part documentary tells the story of a botched robbery and horrifying murder in Erie, Pennsylvania that captured the world's attention.
The Keepers
In November 1969, Sister Cathy Cesnik, a beloved Catholic nun and high school teacher, went missing. Two months later, he body was found and her murder has never been solved. This seven-part documentary tells the story of her death and the secrets it uncovered.
Tell Me Who I Am
18-year-old Alex Lewis wakes up from a coma after being in a motorcycle accident and can't remember anything — his home, his parents, his name. The only thing he remembers is his identical twin brother, Marcus, who he relies on to teach him everything. But Marcus leaves a dark family secret out of the story he tells Alex and now, after decades of lying, he comes clean to his twin brother.
READ MORE:****The House Of Gucci Just Released Its Official Trailer, And It's Everything You've Been Waiting For