Our take
This World Can’t Tear Me Down is a timely release on friendship, punk, and anti-fascism. From the Italian cartoonist Zerocalcare, his second Netflix show shifts his musings over mental health to his experiences with regard to the country’s rising neo-Nazism. As xenophobia tears his friend group, it’s easy to feel the fear and self-doubt Zero’s cartoon counterpart feels. It’s easy as well to empathize with Sarah and Cesare, characters failed by the system around them. In many ways, they themselves feel like they haven’t met their potential. But the show suggests that perhaps status and achievement aren’t what being successful is all about– it’s about holding onto principles. Through punk soundtracks and shifts between stop motion and 90s cartoon style, This World Can’t Tear Me Down captures the millennial generation’s bewilderment, as well as their hope.
The story
When an old friend returns to the neighborhood, Zerocalcare wants to help him find his place back in the world. But what's the right thing to do?
Elsewhere
"As the modes of animation change throughout the season, they reflect a personal experience shaped by seeing people not being able to live to their potential."
— Steve Greene
While the neighborhood is divided over keeping the refugee shelter, Zero bumps into an old high school friend who just returned from rehab.
With the show’s themes, plot points, and autobiographical inspiration, there’s something perfect about the punk influence in both the animation and soundtrack. While set in the 2020s, the show makes you see the world through the eyes of someone born and raised in the 70s-90s, from the subculture that started in rebellion to the era’s right-wing politics. Graffiti-esque drawings, wailing electric guitar, and shouted lyrics all line up with the alternative aesthetic. It might just be Zerocalcare’s preference and art style, but punk is a great fit considering the subculture’s history and ethos. Punk even happens to be one of the few subcultures actively pushing out Nazis. With the show’s political commentary, as well as Zero’s concerns over selling out, it just seems right to pair the show’s story with art inspired by anti-establishment sentiment.
I just have to talk about the politics, otherwise my nose bleeds.
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
