Picture this: what if the Roman Empire hadn't fallen apart, but somehow made its way to the present day? (New) Rome has relocated to the United States – naturally, because it’s the greatest country in the world – and is now governed by Mayor "Cicero" (Giancarlo Esposito). He isn't without his rivals, though, most notably “Cesar” (Adam Driver), who wants to reshape their city with a grand vision, similar to Nero’s, tearing down poor neighborhoods to build his own perfect, everlasting creation called "Megalon." However, the established powers are working against him, except for the mayor's daughter, "Julia" (Nathalie Emmanuel), who seems quite taken with this ambitious “Cesar,” much to the annoyance of his former girlfriend, "Wow" (Aubrey Plaza). She decides to get even by marrying the incredibly wealthy and elderly "Crassus" (Jon Voight). Then there's "Clodio" (Shia LaBoeuf), who’s determined to undermine “Cesar” and seize power – along with the "Crassus" fortune. All of this creates a complicated web of schemes that should have impressed Suetonius and Machiavelli. Instead, we get a sprawling drama that seems lost and unsure of its purpose. The filmmakers attempt to incorporate elements of ancient Shakespeare (and Marcus Aurelius) into the dialogue to give it some weight and historical context, but mostly it’s just a jumbled mess. It's hard to say who deserves any acting recognition; LaBeouf as the exaggerated “Clodius” or Voight as the doddering billionaire are both contenders, but the rest of the cast seems out of place. While the production occasionally nods to film history – I detected a bit of Fritz Lang – overall it feels like an ill-conceived passion project for Francis Ford Coppola that can’t decide whether it wants to be "Romeo & Juliet" or "Spartacus," and ultimately fails to capture the power, emotion, intensity, or humor of either. It is visually appealing, and the production design creates a city landscape brimming with potential, but the story itself isn't ready for an audience. Seeing it on a large screen is recommended, but be prepared to feel disappointed as it starts well before gradually fading into a verbose melodrama containing awkwardly presented ideas about greed and humanity’s failings woven into a flimsy plot. And watch out—the ending practically begs for a sequel!

Source on TMDB