La Mante

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.

Gripping series, but the last episode is frustrating to watch because of so many unrealistic scenes. I enjoyed all episodes except for the last.

I have watched probably 50 of these various style of foreign noir series. Everything from The Bridge, Penoza, Trapped to Spiral (Engrenages}. Some are obviously much better than others; some are awful in spite of their inexplicable popularity. And some of the best ones fell though the cracks, like "Arne Dahl"; which I accidentally stumbled upon on an obscure review site.

They sure don't make 'em like they used to. I've had to lower my standards.

If you enjoy those types of shows than this series fits into the "worth a watch" bundle. Watchable, but it's not on the same par with Engrenages, that's for sure.

It looks and feels like a copycat of Spiral (Engrenages) to me. But, the special FX are almost distractedly bad for a modern show, sort of unintentionally funny. But the story line is good, and most of the cast plays their roles very well.

My only real problem with the show is the "soap opera" production style. it has a bit of the "General Hospital" kind of vibe. Dramatic pauses, over dressed, freshly painted stage-looking sets, overly choreographed and sorta overacted.

Some of the details are just plain stupid. For example: If a woman has been in a solitary confinement prison cell for 25 years, why is her hair and makeup absolutely perfect? She looks like an executive that just stepped out of a corporate boardroom. Her prison cell is nicer than some luxury hotels I've stayed in. That almost killed it for me in the first 15 minutes of episode #1.

In spite of all this, I have to admit that it kept me watching. I'm not finished with the whole series, but thought I'd chime in with an opinion.

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.

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.