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They Call Me Jeeg (2017) movie poster

Plot Summary

They Call Me Jeeg (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 112 min · Italian
JustWatch #29,568 1
Directed by
Gabriele Mainetti

In a gritty, modern-day Rome, a former convict named Enzo unexpectedly gains superhuman abilities. Initially using his powers for personal gain, he quickly finds himself entangled with dangerous local crime lords. His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Alessia, a spirited young woman with a passion for anime. As Enzo develops feelings for her, his focus gradually shifts from selfish ambition to a desire to protect the innocent, forcing him to confront the consequences of his newfound abilities and the dangerous world he inhabits.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch They Call Me Jeeg (2017)

Where can you watch They Call Me Jeeg? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in They Call Me Jeeg: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of They Call Me Jeeg (2017) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In the gritty labyrinth of Rome's Tor Bella Monaca district, we meet the crafty thief Enzo Ceccotti, who is well-acquainted with trouble. After stealing a wristwatch, he finds himself in a dangerous situation as he narrowly escapes two relentless police officers, executing a daring leap into the Tiber River. Little does he comprehend the serious aftermath of his escapade; a chance encounter with radioactive waste lurking beneath the surface leaves him feverish and sick for hours. Upon waking, he discovers he has undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging miraculously healed, albeit with a persistent cough to remind him of his near brush with doom.

Enzo's decision to sell the stolen watch to Sergio, a henchman associated with the infamous gangster Fabio Cannizzaro, known as "The Gipsy," propels him into a realm of danger. Together, they aim to extract cocaine from two drug-smuggling brothers, but the mission swiftly collapses when one of the mules tragically overdoses. Sergio's refusal to call for help ignites a chain of violent events, ultimately resulting in Enzo being shot and tumbling off a construction site—yet he survives unharmed, adding to his legend.

As he recuperates at home, Enzo experiences unusual gains in strength and healing abilities, showcased when he effortlessly empties an ATM, a feat that unwittingly turns him into a viral sensation. The media circles him, coining him a "super-criminal" while hiding his true identity. Meanwhile, Gipsy and his crew are thrown into disarray after discovering that Sergio has failed to deliver their cocaine, which they procured from the notorious Nunzia Lo Cosimo and her clan. Their anger leads them to confront Sergio's home, only to cross paths with Alessia, Sergio's traumatized daughter, who seeks solace in the anime series Steel Jeeg. In a heroic twist, Enzo intervenes to save her from Gipsy's clutches, inadvertently being seen by her as the hero Hiroshi Shiba.

As Enzo guides Alessia back to her previous care home, he unknowingly ignites a dangerous rivalry with Gipsy. His theft of valuables from an armored truck mirrors a job that Gipsy had meticulously planned, further escalating the tensions between the two. With Enzo gaining notoriety, Gipsy’s jealousy grows, leading him down a violent path of destruction within his own gang, culminating in internal betrayals.

A significant moment occurs when two police officers find Alessia wandering alone and introduce her to Enzo. Their shared time watching Steel Jeeg reveals Alessia's heartbreaking past of abuse and vulnerability, which emotionally connects the two. Meanwhile, Gipsy's gang suffers from doubt and leadership issues, ultimately compelling him to seek desperate help from Marcellone, a Brazilian loanshark. This dangerous alliance leads to violent encounters with Nunzia’s gang, leaving only Gipsy standing after a fierce showdown.

Enzo's journey becomes more complicated as he and Alessia share an intimate moment, which ignites anger when Enzo reveals her father's fate. Overcome with rage, Alessia flees, prompting Enzo to display his formidable strength by stopping a tram to apologize and escort her to her father's grave—a dramatic act witnessed by unsuspecting passengers that catches Gipsy's attention.

Recognizing Enzo as a formidable threat, Gipsy devises a nefarious plan to kidnap Alessia, aiming to force Enzo into revealing the source of his abilities. This plot leads them to the Tiber quay, setting up a chaotic showdown where Alessia is fatally injured, urging Enzo to use his powers for good before slipping away. As Gipsy faces a fiery demise, the audience might think he has met his end.

Yet, the following day, Gipsy's survival is revealed as he emerges from the river, now endowed with powers similar to Enzo’s. He wreaks havoc in Naples, continuing a violent rampage that sets the stage for their inevitable showdown. As Enzo grapples with his role as a hero, he finds himself rescuing a woman and her daughter from a car fire, only to witness Gipsy's ominous threats on television.

With the city under siege, Enzo resolves to confront Gipsy, ultimately thwarting his plans during a climactic confrontation at the Musica-Armando Trovajoli bridge. By hurling a bomb into the Tiber, he ensures Gipsy's demise in a fiery explosion. With his heroic act, Enzo cements his legacy in Roman lore. As he stands on the ancient Colosseum, now regarded as a local champion, Enzo wears the Jeeg mask crafted by Alessia—a testament to his commitment to protect the city and its people from evil.

Last updated: November 22, 2024 at 16:02

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Plot questions answered

They Call Me Jeeg Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about They Call Me Jeeg (2017): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

How did Enzo gain superhuman abilities?

Enzo gains his powers after falling into the Tiber River while escaping police. He comes into contact with radioactive waste submerged in the river, which leaves him feverish and sick for hours. When he wakes up, he discovers he has been transformed with remarkable healing abilities and superhuman strength, though he develops a persistent cough as a reminder of his near-death experience.

Foreshadowing: The radioactive waste was already present in the river long before Enzo's fall, waiting for an unsuspecting victim.

  • enzo powers
  • radioactive waste
  • tiber river
  • transformation
  • superhuman abilities
Q2

Why does Alessia call Enzo "Hiroshi Shiba"?

Alessia calls Enzo Hiroshi Shiba because that is the name of the hero from her favorite anime series, Steel Jeeg. After Enzo rescues her from Gipsy's gang, she sees him as her real-life hero and equates him with the character who saves people in her beloved show.

Foreshadowing: Alessia's obsession with Steel Jeeg throughout the film foreshadows her identification of Enzo as her personal hero.

  • alessia
  • hiroshi shiba
  • steel jeeg
  • anime
  • hero
Q3

What caused the rivalry between Enzo and Gipsy?

The rivalry escalates when Enzo steals valuables from an armored truck that Gipsy had been planning to rob. This directly undermines Gipsy's criminal operation and makes him see Enzo as a threat. Additionally, Enzo's rescue of Alessia from Gipsy's clutches creates personal enmity, as Gipsy wants to use her to force Enzo to reveal the source of his powers.

Foreshadowing: The tension between them builds gradually through competing heists and Gipsy's growing jealousy over Enzo's rising reputation.

  • enzo gipsy rivalry
  • gipsy
  • armored truck
  • criminal rivalry
Q4

What happens to Alessia at the Tiber quay?

Gipsy kidnaps Alessia at the Tiber quay to force Enzo to reveal where his powers come from. During the chaotic confrontation, Alessia is fatally shot. In her dying moments, she urges Enzo to use his powers for good rather than for personal gain, which ultimately convinces him to fully embrace his role as a hero.

Foreshadowing: Gipsy's earlier threat to kidnap Alessia foreshadows the tragic confrontation at the quay.

  • alessia death
  • tiber quay
  • gipsy kidnapping
  • final moments
Q5

How does Gipsy survive and gain powers at the end?

After being seemingly killed in the explosion at the Tiber quay, Gipsy emerges from the river the next day, just like Enzo did. He has survived the fiery confrontation and now possesses similar powers to Enzo's - including enhanced strength and healing abilities. This sets up their final showdown in Naples and at the bridge.

Foreshadowing: Enzo's earlier survival after being shot and falling from a construction site establishes that Gipsy could also survive deadly situations.

  • gipsy powers
  • survival
  • river
  • transformation
  • final boss
Q6

Why does Enzo stop the tram to apologize to Alessia?

After Alessia learns the truth about her father Sergio's fate from Enzo, she runs away in anger. To apologize and bring her back, Enzo uses his superhuman strength to stop a moving tram in the middle of the street. This dramatic act catches the attention of both the public and Gipsy, who witnesses the display of power.

Foreshadowing: This is the first time Enzo openly uses his powers in public for a non-criminal purpose, signaling his gradual shift toward heroism.

  • enzo stops tram
  • apology
  • alessia
  • public display
Q7

What is the significance of the Jeeg mask at the end?

The Jeeg mask is crafted by Alessia as a symbol of her belief in Enzo as her hero. At the film's end, Enzo wears the mask while standing on the Colosseum, representing his acceptance of the heroic role Alessia always saw in him. It symbolizes his transformation from a selfish criminal into a protector who uses his powers for good.

Foreshadowing: Alessia's love for the Steel Jeeg anime and her calling Enzo "Hiroshi Shiba" foreshadow the mask's creation and meaning.

  • jeeg mask
  • colosseum
  • alessia gift
  • hero symbol
Q8

How does Enzo defeat Gipsy at the Musica-Armando Trovajoli bridge?

Enzo confronts Gipsy at the bridge where they have their final battle. Using his superior combat skills and powers, Enzo overpowers Gipsy. He throws a bomb into the Tiber River, causing a fiery explosion that engulfs Gipsy and kills him, ending the threat he poses to the city.

Foreshadowing: The river has been a recurring element throughout the film, first giving Enzo his powers and now becoming the site of Gipsy's demise.

  • final confrontation
  • bridge
  • gipsy death
  • bomb
  • tiber
Q9

Why does Enzo choose to become a hero?

Enzo's transformation into a hero is triggered by his growing connection with Alessia and her traumatic past. Watching Steel Jeeg together and learning about her abuse history creates an emotional bond that makes him want to protect her. After her death, her final plea for him to use his powers for good cements his decision to fight against evil rather than exploit his abilities.

Foreshadowing: Enzo's rescue of Alessia from Gipsy marks the first moment he uses his powers to help someone else.

  • enzo hero journey
  • redemption
  • alessia influence
  • good vs evil
Q10

Why was Enzo called a "super-criminal" by the media?

After Enzo uses his superhuman strength to empty an ATM machine, the video goes viral and the media dubs him a "super-criminal." The police and press focus on his criminal activities - stealing the watch, the failed cocaine job, and the ATM theft - rather than seeing him as a potential hero, creating the sensationalized moniker.

Foreshadowing: The media's labeling of Enzo sets up the contrast with his later transformation into an actual hero.

  • super-criminal
  • media
  • atm
  • viral
  • public perception
Q11

What happened to Sergio, Alessia's father?

Sergio is a henchman who works for Gipsy. He accompanies Enzo on the failed cocaine extraction job, and when one of the drug mules overdoses, Sergio refuses to call for help, leading to violence. Later, Sergio is killed as part of the fallout from the botched operation, leaving Alessia orphaned and traumatized.

Foreshadowing: Sergio's criminal background and involvement with Gipsy directly lead to his death and Alessia's vulnerable situation.

  • sergio death
  • alessia father
  • henchman
  • gipsy
Q12

How did Enzo first meet Alessia?

Enzo meets Alessia when he intervenes to save her from Gipsy's gang. Gipsy's crew had gone to Sergio's home looking for the missing cocaine and encountered Alessia there. Enzo arrives and heroically rescues her from their clutches, which is when she first sees him as her protector and calls him Hiroshi Shiba.

Foreshadowing: This rescue sets in motion the entire emotional arc of the film and Enzo's transformation.

  • first meeting
  • enzo alessia
  • rescue
  • gipsy gang

Movie threads

More Movies Like They Call Me Jeeg, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes They Call Me Jeeg tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gritty Anti-Hero Origin Stories like They Call Me Jeeg

Flawed characters forced to become protectors in a cruel world. If you enjoyed the reluctant hero's journey in They Call Me Jeeg, explore more movies where flawed, often cynical characters are forced to rise above their circumstances. These films feature intense action, heavy emotional stakes, and a transformative arc from self-interest to becoming an unlikely protector.

  • gritty
  • violent
  • unpredictable
  • urban decay
  • hopeful
  • anxious
  • Tone: tense, gritty
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around a protagonist with a questionable moral compass who acquires power or faces a pivotal event. Initially using their new situation for personal gain, they are gradually pulled into a larger conflict, often through a connection with another character, forcing them to confront their own nature and accept a burden of responsibility they never wanted.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific character arc: the rise of an anti-hero. They are united by a high-intensity, tense tone, fast pacing, and a focus on urban decay and survival. The emotional journey is heavy, culminating in a bittersweet victory that solidifies the protagonist's costly transformation.

Urban Crime Thrillers with Heart like They Call Me Jeeg

High-stakes criminal underworld stories driven by character connections. Fans of the emotional depth in They Call Me Jeeg will appreciate these similar urban crime stories. Discover movies that blend intense action and gritty criminal underworlds with heartfelt character arcs, exploring themes of redemption, found family, and the personal cost of survival.

  • gritty
  • anxious
  • violent
  • hopeful
  • urban decay
  • unpredictable
  • Tone: tense, heavy
  • Pacing: fast, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives are set within a well-defined urban criminal ecosystem. The plot is driven by a series of escalating conflicts with rivals, but the emotional engine is a developing relationship—romantic, paternal, or platonic—that gives the protagonist a reason to fight beyond mere survival or profit, complicating their moral choices.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their unique blend of a high-intensity, fast-paced crime plot with a significant emotional weight. They share a tense tone, a focus on urban survival, and key themes like redemption and found family, creating a coherent experience of action-driven stories that are also deeply character-focused.

Every angle

They Call Me Jeeg (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about They Call Me Jeeg in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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