Il mostro

The Monster of Florence case is one of the most bizarre, complex, convoluted and fascinating cases in the history of serial murder. Spanning at least 11 and possibly 17 years, it led to at least 14 and possibly 16 murders, four trials, one trial conviction, two definitive convictions and the trial convicted defendant, Pietro Pacciani, dying in mysterious circumstances before his due process could be completed. It also involved two targeted burglaries of the police evidence room, where several items of evidence were stolen and a string of collateral mysterious deaths and murders of several people involved in the case, as well as strange money transfers into the accounts of two suspects and mysterious threatening phone calls to various witnesses.

The official position of the Italian police is that an occult group of wealthy Italians commissioned the murders, hiring various low lives over the years to do the actual killings, in order to retrieve body parts, that would then be used in weird black magic rituals.

The problem with the Netflix Monster of Florence series is that it covers none of this at all. Instead it focuses on a clan of Sardinians who were initially suspected in being involved in the murders, but were later discounted as new developments arose.

It also consists of repetitive and rather pointless flashbacks and has a strange fixation with a 1968 double murder, which may not have even been perpetrated by the Monster of Florence.

For a series covering an absolutely fascinating and possibly unique serial murder case, it's surprisingly dull and kinda boring and focuses more on melodrama between the Sardinians, instead of the nuances and developments of the case.

The trial convicted defendant Pietro Paccianin is only barely mentioned at the end of the series.

Unless there's a planned second season which will cover the complete story, (and there hopefully will be, considering Pacciani's mention at the end), I'd say to anyone interested in the case to not bother with this one. Watch the feature length 2020 documentary, "The Monsters of Florence" by journalist Andrea Vogt instead. It's far more detailed and available on Netflix UK or Tubi for American viewers.

But as someone familiar with the Monster of Florence case and who has been fascinated by it for years, I found this series extremely disappointing to say the least.

There are stories that are born and grow with you, and The Monster of Florence was my dark lullaby companion growing up.

No, I'm not Italian, but Swiss-close enough to the border that Italian culture and its stories often slipped through.

I remember being both terrified and mesmerised by the fear surrounding satanic cults and the "Pacciani trials." They were constantly on the news.

After my cartoon-filled afternoons, I'd stay glued to the television, waiting for the latest update on Il Mostro di Firenze.

So, when Netflix announced its series "Il Mostro," I approached it with cautious excitement. Having watched countless documentaries, films, and series about the case, I feared it would tread the same weary ground.

Thankfully, it doesn't. Instead, it returns to the origins-before The Monster of Florence even existed.

Finally-and I say this with some relief-Netflix delivers a true-crime series that transcends the formula of romanticising serial killers.

"The Monster" avoids mere sensationalism, examining the case through the fractured mirror of Italy's 1960-1970s social perspective.

Starting from the notorious Sardinian trail and the double murder of Barbara Locci and Antonio Lo Bianco in 1968, director Stefano Sollima portrays not an unknown killer, but a festering web of family ties, superstition, and archaic power structures-the breeding ground from which countless lesser monsters could only emerge.

The only certainty that endures is the killer's hatred of women-a sentiment reflective of the prevailing misogyny in society at that time.

Sollima and screenwriter Leonardo Fasoli craft a four-part miniseries with respect for both the victims and the enduring mystery surrounding this unsolved case.

"The Monster" doesn't aim to give a name to il mostro di Firenze, nor does it chase any new twists.

By now, the story is familiar; what remains compelling is how evil takes root and expands-from the whispers of a small town to an obsession that captures a nation.

This is horror born of history: the kind that festers in the quiet corners of a society that would rather look away.

Each episode centres on a different suspect-from the Vinci brothers to the Mele clan-all potentially guilty, all tragically distant from the truth.

Whatever that truth is, it still hasn't found peace, though the series could have delved deeper into the societal trauma that marked a generation of Italians.

"The Monster" still stands as one of the few true-crime works that understands horror not as spectacle, but as something rooted in the collective memory of a nation.

"Il Mostro" sets out with a chilling premise: a serial killer terrorizing the Florence area. It opens with one of his crimes, then links it to another murder from about 15 years earlier. From that point, the narrative shifts almost entirely to the old case and the people involved.

But honestly, almost nothing new is revealed throughout the story. Instead, what stands out is how clumsy and ineffective the Italian justice system appears to be. The series leaves you frustrated more than intrigued.

While based on real events, it never explores the aftermath in any meaningful way. The only memorable moment is a line about Salvatore's disappearance and how the killings stopped afterward - possibly just coincidence. Beyond that, we learn nothing about what happened to the other characters.

And on a side note, it surprised me how many young people in 1980s Florence kept risking being alone in cars together despite the killer targeting exactly that situation. Maybe I'm just naive, but it felt unrealistic.

In the end, "Il Mostro" is atmospheric and well-crafted visually, but it's a disappointing look at how justice faltered and a story that fails to deliver deeper insight.

Really slow and unfocused to the point where it was often difficult to follow.

The myriad of characters and constant flashbacks/flashforwards were the main reason for the confusion while watching this. There was also nothing compelling about the Italian police procedural side of this crime case, which was mind boggling because the case was reportedly delayed and unsolved for many years longer than it should have because of purported misdeeds and mishandling of evidence and suspects by said police squad.

I would have rather seen this story told from the point of view of the Douglas Preston non-fiction book. Far more compelling!

This crime thriller is based on true events. After long time finally a solid psycho murder episode from Italy on Netflix. I find it is actually on short supply to see good series or movies from Italy on Netflix. The first episode was for me too slow paced and I thought already to stop. But the longer I watched it the more interesting the story got. There are many flashbacks to reconstruct the mystery puzzles and help so the audience to understand what was really going on. The atmosphere and filming locations have been wonderfully created from the 60ties to the 80ties. The actors played the characters respectably and I think the director did a great job too. If you liked the other two psycho killer series on Netflix Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein this is for you. Final vote: 7/10.