M – Son of the Century Music By Tom Rowlands

From the 2018 bestselling Premio Strega-Winning Novel of the same name by Antonio Scurati, M – Son of the Century tells the story of the political rise of the Benito Mussolini. Directed by BAFTA-winning Joe Wright and featuring a powerful performance from Shooting Stars Award-winner Luca Marinelli, the series immerses viewers in a gripping narrative of chaos, power, and revolution. The electrifying soundtrack, composed by Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, perfectly complements the intensity of the story, amplifying its raw energy and emotional impact.

Says Tom Rowlands of working on the soundtrack and with director, Joe Wright: “I really enjoy working with Joe, he’s an incredible director.  He is a master of his craft and to bring his vision to life through music is always an exciting challenge.  A lot of this original soundtrack was built around playing old acoustic instruments using modern electronics; working in that way helped me reference the past yet still create something fresh and dynamic”. 

Through contemporary language, underscored by Rowlands’ modern soundtrack, Mussolini breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly to reveal his most unspeakable thoughts and comments on the turning points of history, offering an original, ‘pop’ portrait of a dictator who betrayed ideals, people and institutions and committed acts of unprecedented violence.    As director, Joe Wright comments: “What I find really fascinating about Mussolini is that he represents, in my mind, the worst of masculinity…Mussolini…dug down into the very worst of himself and used that to gain power”. 

M – Son of the Century airs on Sky in early 2025.