Upscale fashion, romance, wealth, murder, Italy—sounds like the perfect storm for a blockbuster film. Based on the scandalous true story, “House of Gucci” recounts the events that shook the fashion world at the hands of the famous Gucci family from the seventies to the nineties. The movie features a talented cast of A-list actors whose performances will stun you.

For anyone with access to Google, it is no spoiler that the movie culminates with the murder of Maurizio Gucci as planned by his ex-wife Patrizia Reggianni. But the high-profile homicide is only part of the story: “House of Gucci” focuses on how Patrizia ascended the Italian social ladder. By marrying Patrizia, Maurizio is cut off from the family’s money until his uncle Aldo, a son of founder Guccio Gucci, convinces his brother Rodolfo to welcome his son back into the family with the help of Patrizia’s social adeptness. But upon Rodolfo’s death, it comes to light that he did not sign the agreement that he and Aldo would split Gucci royalties, meaning that Aldo and his clueless son Paolo would take over the brand.

Armed with beauty and clad in the latest designer pieces, Patrizia uses her iron fists and feisty wit to take down those who stand in the way of her husband’s wealth and success. Once she gets what she wants, however, Maurizio becomes distant, and their marriage falls apart. Patrizia turns into the helpless divorcee who cannot let go of her past love, so she turns to a psychic and hitmen to rid her of the ex-husband weighing her down.

Besides the captivating tale, the cast list is what really drew me to see the film in the first place. Pop star Lady Gaga returns to the big screen to play Patrizia while Adam Driver stars as Maurizio. The film also features Al Pacino as Aldo, Jared Leto as Paolo, and Salma Hayek as Pina the psychic. The casting team did a superb job at matching actors to their real-life counterparts. (Seriously, go look at side-by-side pictures of Gaga and Driver next to Patrizia and Maurizio; it is amazing.)

But the actors, of course, brought their characters to life beautifully. Gaga mastered a fantastic Italian accent, fitting for someone named Stefani Germonatta. While I think Driver could have done a better accent, it seems his shorter lines and focus on facial expressions likely reflected the real Maurizio’s nature. As expected just from the title, the costumes department dressed the cast to the nines in intricate patterns, elegant dresses, classy suits, glamorous shoes, and so much more.

The end of the film lists updates on the Gucci clan, such as how Aldo and Paolo’s hold on the empire slipped away, so now the family no longer owns it. Patrizia was released early from prison and lives today in Italy, and this fact makes me wonder how she reacted to the movie about her. I do appreciate how the film did not portray her as totally the villain or totally the hero. To me, Patrizia seemed like a passionate, misunderstood woman with a knack for business who made a terrible mistake. She was much more than the jealous ex-wife.

Once again, yes, this did actually happen. The movie certainly dramatized many components of the story, but the general series of events is factually true. I would definitely advise doing some background research before hitting the theater because the family tree and timeline can be a bit confusing to follow. Regardless, “House of Gucci” certainly blew me away, and the drama will make you see the true story in a new light.