Prisma is a coming-of-age series set in Latina, Italy. The talented Mattia Carrano plays identical siblings Andrea and Marco. Andrea is a confident drug dealer exploring their gender identity. Marco is a depressed straight guy clashing with the members of his swim team. They share the story with nice girl Carola, bad boy Danielle and rebellious lesbian Nina. Season one’s problem is that the energy dips whenever Andrea is off screen. They’re the character with the most growth and agency. Season two raises the stakes for the other teens, with mixed results.
Mild spoilers ahead.
In the first episode we learn that Andrea has created an Instagram account to pose in feminine clothing with their face obscured. Danielle messaged them and an anonymous flirtation began. Dani assumes he’s falling for a cishet woman. Once he suspects otherwise, he struggles to reconcile his feelings with his sexuality. Actor Lorenzo Zurzolo gives a compelling performance. Tough yet vulnerable. Ready to flee or embrace Andrea at any moment. Their relationship becomes the series lynchpin. The other storylines pale in comparison.
Marco cares for his sibling but resents their secretive nature. He works up the courage to date Carola. When he learns she’s still seeing other people he grows surly. His refusal to discuss his feelings keeps the audience at arm’s length. Showrunners Ludovico Bessegato, Alice Urciuolo and Giulio Calvani occasionally bring the twins together. Clever use of camera angles and body doubles prevent their conversations from feeling like the campy Patty Duke Show. I’d like to see their dynamic develop further.
Carola and Nina spend season one furthering the twin’s personal growth. Season two fleshes out their friendship and puts them through adversity. Even so, they are passive, reactive characters. The writers need to fix this if they plan to keep them around.
Season one ended on a cliff hanger in 2022. It would take two years to release a new season. Now there’s another cliff hanger to leave fans squirming. Amazon Prime is streaming the first season in the states with subs and a competent English dub. They lost the international rights to season two, leaving fans to share their own subtitled clips. I’d recommend Prisma for Carrano and Zurzolo’s performances. And to anyone seeking media with genderfluid protagonists. Just be prepared for some bumpy writing.
You can read more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.