La Mantis

Carole Bouquet, a glam star from past decades, plays a Mom doing a life term for a series of brutal killings. Her son, Damien, is a senior investigator with Paris police, who are investigating a series of copycat killings. He has a drop- dead pretty wife, who would like to start a new family, but Damien is haunted by the mess in his family background (try a serial killer Mom & an abusive dad who 'disappeared' sometime before her spree began).

Problem is: they stare a lot. Damien has an explosive temper and often throws hissy fits when his wife asks for clarification or compassion.

Anyway, we have a couple of major plot twists and a few scenes you might want to fast-forward, and a thrilling climax. Not as good as the Korean entries on Netflix, surprisingly, but a good way to burn a weekend with this 6-parter.i

As this French mystery series opens a body is found in a sawmill; the way it has been posed matches that of Jeanne Deber, a serial killer known as 'The Mantis', who was incarcerated twenty years previously. It is the third such case; there is clearly a copycat at work. When Jeanne hears about the case she contacts the police and offers to help... on one condition; her long-estranged son, Captain Damien Carrot must lead the case. He has kept the identity of his mother secret, even his wife believes he is an orphan, but as the case progresses the secret will be hard to keep. Before the case is solved there will be more killings and various suspects will emerge.

This is a solid serial killer mystery series. The murders are somewhat varied and unpleasant, as befits the genre and the links to a previous killer are intriguing... is there a real connection or is the new killer just a fan? The characters, most obviously Jeanne and her son Damien are interesting; the former's motives are nicely ambiguous. There is plenty of tension and a fair bit of misdirection as suspects appear and are later eliminated before the final reveal. At only six episodes the series never drags, nor does it feel rushed. The resolution is a bit melodramatic but I enjoyed the various twists and turns; which don't stop with the arrest of the killer. I enjoyed the references to other works, notably to the film version of Stephen King's 'Misery'... not just because of what happens to one victim but the name of Damien's home town; Miserey. Captain Carrot's name may even be a Discworld reference but as he isn't a six foot dwarf it might be coincidental! Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of French crime dramas.

These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.

To be honest, the first thing you need to know is that there are a few inconsistencies which can make you think that this can't be real. Apart from that, the story itself is interesting and keeps pushing the characters further and further.

The good acting is a big part of La Mante's charisma and this is what you need to watch this six-episodes show at least once. You get easily attached and it is nice to see that much known faces outside of their comfort.

There are enough exciting twists to keep the story good and each of them brings with it a controversial subject beautifully established.

Manon Azem is a true diamond which everyone needs to keep an eye on, and Fred Testot is pretty convincing when he's not trying to make us laugh.

At the end, it's a good surprise and even without being exceptional, it's still a refreshing thriller show.

This series should be marked under the "not bad but could have been so much better" category.

In terms of the positives. The editing is quite good and the pace is kept up quite well. The score does a very good job of raising the tension at the appropriate moments. The cinematography is high quality and the series overall was very well shot.

Now to the less than positive points. First off the premise is not very original and in the end very contrived. Its as if someone took the plotlines of Silence of the Lambs (using an imprisoned serial killer to catch their admirer), Seven (a serial killer who ritually tortures their victims as punishment) and Copycat (a serial killer imitating the crimes of a convicted murderer).

Secondly, the characters are all pretty one dimensional and the acting is actually quite flat. Carole Bouquet is as cold and distant as ever, meaning it is difficult to feel anything for her, positively or negatively. Fred Testot, who plays her son, mopes around and seems pointedly uninteresting as a character. Its hard to see from this what his wife saw in him. The other characters are pretty much stereotypes (the grizzled police chief, the disgruntled/resentful partner who was passed over for promotion, the deranged serial killer, etc).

Lastly some of the plot lines stretch credibility a bit too far. For example, France's most notorious serial killer is left with only one guard. The police decide race to rescue the serial killer' victims by racing across Paris only to arrive too late instead of calling for local backup.

All in all, with a bit more originality in the scenario and a tighter script, this could have been excellent.

My wife and I really enjoyed this series. Yes, there were some flaws: a few stupid decisions by the police and a little overacting; but overall it was a great series with a complicated plot that in the end made sense. This is one of the better detective series we have found recently and I would definitely recommend it.