Gabriella is wealthy, sixty, and lonely. Elia is thirty, charming, and suspiciously perfect. When they meet on the Amalfi Coast, the sparks don't just fly—they explode. This is the setup for Deceitful Love (or Inganno), the Italian limited series that has been tearing up the Netflix Top 10 charts. It’s a remake of the British show Gold Digger, but it swaps the moody UK atmosphere for sun-drenched Italian vistas and a much higher temperature in the bedroom.
People are talking.
They aren't just talking about the steamy scenes, though there are plenty of those to go around. They’re arguing about whether Elia is a con artist or a misunderstood romantic. They’re dissecting Gabriella’s family, who are, frankly, a bit of a mess. Most of all, they're searching for deceitful love on Netflix because they want to know if what they just watched was a romance or a thriller.
💡 You might also like: Emperor of Ocean Park Episodes: Why This Legal Thriller Is So Much More Than a Murder Mystery
The answer is actually both. And neither.
The Premise That Hooked Millions
Let’s be real. We’ve seen the "older woman, younger man" trope before. Usually, it’s played for laughs or treated as a tragedy waiting to happen. Deceitful Love takes a different route. It treats Gabriella’s desire as something valid, even if the person she’s desiring might be a total liar. Monica Guerritore plays Gabriella with this incredible mix of vulnerability and steel. She’s a woman who owns a luxury hotel, yet she feels invisible until Giacomo Gianniotti’s Elia walks into her life.
Gianniotti, who many know from Grey’s Anatomy, plays Elia with a slipperiness that makes you want to reach through the screen and shake Gabriella. One minute he’s the perfect partner, and the next, he’s caught in a lie that would end most relationships instantly. The show thrives on this tension. It asks a very uncomfortable question: Does it matter if the love is a lie if the feeling it gives you is real?
Why Deceitful Love on Netflix Hits Different
It isn't just a soap opera. The cinematography makes the Amalfi Coast look like a character itself, all deep blues and golden sunlight. But underneath that beauty is a lot of rot. Gabriella’s children—Stefano, Giulia, and Nico—are convinced Elia is after the family fortune. And honestly? They have every reason to think so.
Stefano is repressed and bitter. Giulia is struggling with her own identity. Nico is the youngest and perhaps the most observant. They represent the "rational" side of the audience. Every time Elia does something sweet, the kids (and the viewers) are waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is the core appeal of deceitful love on Netflix. It’s the constant guessing game.
Most shows like this reveal the "twist" in the second episode. Deceitful Love drags it out. It forces you to sit with the discomfort of Gabriella’s choices. You see her regaining her confidence, wearing brighter colors, and reclaiming her sexuality. Then you see Elia making secret phone calls. It’s a rollercoaster. A stressful, beautiful, Mediterranean rollercoaster.
The Problem With Modern Romance Thrillers
Lately, streaming services have been flooded with "erotic thrillers." Many of them are, to put it bluntly, terrible. They have wooden acting and plots that make no sense. Deceitful Love manages to stay a cut above because it focuses on character psychology rather than just plot twists.
We understand why Gabriella wants to believe him. After years of being "just a mother" or "just a divorcee," being seen as a woman is a powerful drug. The show explores the invisibility of women over fifty in a way that feels surprisingly honest for a glossy Netflix production.
That Ending: Was It Actually Deceitful?
If you haven't finished the series, look away now.
The finale is where most people lose their minds. After episodes of legal drama, accusations of "incapacity," and family blowups, we get a resolution that isn't as black and white as we expected. Elia’s past is murky. He’s done some bad things. He’s definitely a bit of a grifter. But the show suggests that his feelings for Gabriella might have actually become genuine somewhere along the line.
Or did they?
The final shots leave enough ambiguity to keep the Reddit threads humming for months. Gabriella chooses herself, in a way, but she also chooses the fantasy. It’s a cynical ending disguised as a romantic one. It suggests that perhaps all love involves a bit of deceit—the lies we tell ourselves to stay happy.
What You Should Watch Next
If you’ve binged all six episodes and now have a void in your life, you aren't alone. The craving for this specific vibe—luxury, secrets, and complicated age gaps—is real.
First, go watch the original. Gold Digger starring Julia Ormond and Ben Barnes is the blueprint. It’s a bit more "prestige drama" and a bit less "steamy romance," but the DNA is the same. It’s fascinating to see how the cultural shift from the UK to Italy changes the tone of the story.
Then there is The Undoing on Max. It has that same "is he or isn't he a monster" energy, set against a backdrop of extreme wealth. If you want to stay on Netflix, Obsession or Fatal Seductive cover the erotic thriller angle, though they lack the emotional depth that Guerritore brings to Deceitful Love.
How to Spot a "Deceitful Love" Situation in Real Life
While the show is fiction, the concept of "love bombing" is very real. Experts like Dr. Ramani Durvasula often talk about how predators use intense affection to blind their targets to red flags.
- The Speed: If it feels like a soulmate connection within forty-eight hours, be careful.
- The Isolation: Notice if the new partner is trying to drive a wedge between you and your family (even if your family is as annoying as Gabriella’s).
- The Financial Push: Requests for money or access to assets early in a relationship are the biggest red flag in the book.
Gabriella ignored all of these. But then again, if she hadn't, we wouldn't have a hit show to talk about.
Final Thoughts on the Craze
Netflix knows exactly what it's doing with these international acquisitions. By taking a proven story and adding high production values and local stars, they create global hits. Deceitful Love works because it taps into universal fears about aging, being alone, and the terrifying realization that we might not truly know the person sleeping next to us.
It’s messy. It’s occasionally melodramatic. It’s definitely "deceitful." But it’s also one of the most compelling things on the platform right now.
Take Action:
If you’re planning to watch, pay attention to the color palette in Gabriella’s wardrobe; it tells the story of her emotional state better than the dialogue does. For those who have already finished, re-watch the first episode's beach scene. Knowing the ending changes every single look Elia gives her. If you are worried about your own relationship dynamics, look into resources regarding "love bombing" and narcissistic recovery to ensure your "Deceitful Love" stays strictly on the screen.