ChiaroScuro Review
Director: Jan Michelini
Date Created: 2026-11-11 21:46
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ChiaroScuro Review: Directed by Jan Michelini, Netflix’s Italian crime drama stars Pierpaolo Spollon as Cosmo Speranza, Andrea Lattanzi as Angelo Tiberi, Romana Maggiora Vergano as Eleonora, Alessandro Preziosi as Rufo Speranza, Aurora Giovinazzo as Mia, Gabriele Falsetta as Eden Fulgenti, Matteo Bassi as Cesare and Corrado Invernizzi as Ludovico Antonelli, among others. The series consists of eight episodes with runtimes of approximately 45 to 55 minutes.
ChiaroScuro Review
Netflix’s ChiaroScuro revolves around Cosmo Speranza, a man who possesses extensive knowledge about paintings and the history of art and is now a detective of sorts, because his expertise on the matter unexpectedly leads him to be involved in a murder investigation. The murders which are being committed copy some famous pieces of art, so Cosmo is a helpful consultant for the police, mainly for the investigating officer Angelo Tiberi. At first, the cooperation of Cosmo and the police seems somewhat unusual, but soon it turns out that Cosmo can see the link between the murder and the mysterious death of his father, Rufo.
As the investigation moves forward, it gets harder for Cosmo to distinguish between professional curiosity and his family history. The Netflix Italian series ChiaroScuro introduces a character who understands art, which is going to help solve the crimes. The murders based on famous paintings create a unique identity for the investigation process, and the fact that the artistic aspects are not only there for aesthetics but also serve as clues helps the story become unique.
But the main reason why I liked the Italian series ChiaroScuro was the teamwork of Cosmo and Angelo. The difference in their characters and methods for detecting the crimes adds a lot to the humour of the show. Cosmo always considers things from an artistic point of view and pays attention to those details which escape the notice of others, while Angelo sticks to the classic ways of investigation. It is only natural that such a combination results in quarrels, especially when the unique views of Cosmo seem incomprehensible to Angelo. And it is exactly what makes their relationship funny. They complement each other without dominating one another and add a certain charm to the process of investigation.
Another positive point I would like to mention is the fact that Cosmo’s role is not confined to the role of an intelligent outsider who assists the police. The closer the investigation proceeds, the more complicated and uncomfortable his connection with it becomes as the facts about the death of his father start to be known. Another interesting feature of the movie is connected with Rufo’s past, which adds one more aspect to the plot. In particular, the fact that there was a dark side of his life and that he was hiding something makes a difference in the perception of Cosmo. This is especially true as his curiosity is now combined with some pain and uncertainty.
It is this personal element that adds a level of intrigue to this show beyond just making it a standard crime comedy. Not only does Cosmo want to discover why someone is murdering people in order to recreate these paintings, but he is also trying to discover the family history he has been living in all these years without having the whole truth behind it. The revelation that his father might not have died the way he had always thought makes this investigation especially eerie. It is for this reason that I liked this addition.
The relationships and the situations involving Eleonora, Mia, and the others around Cosmo and Angelo start to become part of the bigger story too. The link of Mia with the family’s secrets is especially crucial, whereas the complex relationships involving Rufo make the past much larger than Cosmo originally perceives. Another thing I enjoyed about the series was that, at first, not everyone who appeared in it had the significance of his or her role clear right away.
The performances fit the series very well. Pierpaolo Spollon adds to Cosmo’s performance a great deal of eccentricity that makes him funny without making him look like a caricature. Moreover, Pierpaolo Spollon demonstrates some emotional depth necessary for making the character’s relationship with his father seem plausible. And Andrea Lattanzi plays Angelo very well, making him the perfect foil for the main character. The chemistry between them is one of the factors that makes the series worth watching.
The 2026 Italian series ChiaroScuro knows that not all murder mysteries should keep their gloomy and depressing environment throughout the entirety of the show. The comedy elements present in their show, specifically the interactions between Cosmo and Angelo, offer some relief from the tension. On the other hand, the show still does not lose sight of the gravity of the crimes committed. It also refrains from using excessive violence and uses conversation and relationships instead.
Netflix ChiaroScuro Review: Summing Up
Overall, the 2026 ChiaroScuro series turns out to be an exciting crime drama which can play up its unique concept thanks to its characters. In particular, I enjoyed how the art is involved in the investigation process itself and how the relationship between Cosmo and Angelo brings the greatest entertainment. The family mystery concerning Rufo allows bringing in the necessary emotional background which will not allow treating murder as just another investigation case. The show does have some flaws in its narrative structure, but in general, it is definitely worth watching.
