Il mostro

Making a miniseries about a serial killer always has potential, but here the result doesn't quite deliver. The Monster of Florence aims to be an elegant, atmospheric true crime story -slow, reflective, and serious- but it ends up being too slow for its own good. Instead of building tension, it drains it. There's no clear main character or strong narrative thread to pull the viewer in, and the story feels scattered and unfocused.

Stefano Sollima tries to add depth through fragmented storytelling, jumping back and forth in time and showing events from different perspectives. It's an interesting idea, but confusion wins over intrigue. At times, it feels more like an exercise in style than a compelling story.

The best part lies in the atmosphere -that unsettling Tuscan landscape, the impeccable cinematography, and the ever-present sense of quiet danger. There's talent behind the camera, but also a lack of rhythm and emotional grip.

It's not a failure, but definitely a missed opportunity. If you're looking for a human, grounded take on the case without sensationalism, you might find something here. But if you expect a gripping, addictive thriller, you'll likely tune out before the end.

"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.

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.

Very well acted. It is surprising. It makes you think. Who has done it? Great sites and surroundings. All those cars of the 70's and 80's. So nice. Yep, the movie is a bit dark. It is a dark story. Very Italian, what I like a lot. And now I still hsve to write 70 characters. I would like ifdutch actors could play like the profs in this movie!! They cant....

A new Netflix series has just been released - The Monster of Florence. It's based on real events that took place between 1978 and 1985 near the city of Florence, in its suburbs. This is already the third major series in recent months exploring serial killings - after the ones about Ed Gein and John Wayne Gacy. But this one is very different.

While American true-crime shows usually follow a familiar pattern - a troubled childhood, a drunk father, a fanatically religious mother using faith as control - The Monster of Florence goes in the opposite direction.

There's no typical "killer vs. Victim" formula here. Instead, it's a deep, almost philosophical story about post-war Italy - about a society that was closed, judgmental, and constrained by Catholicism and social dogmas.

For me, it was quite an eye-opener. I didn't even know that until 1970, divorce was illegal in Italy. A man who left his wife and children for another woman could lose not only his reputation but his freedom. The series captures this cultural reality - a world where personal freedom was suppressed by religion and fear of public shame.

In its tone and atmosphere, the series feels like an old Italian drama, where the focus is not on the killer but on the spirit of the time - how people lived, what they feared, and how they hid their desires and guilt. It's psychological and spiritual cinema, not horror or crime for shock value.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. At first, I expected a typical American-style thriller, but it turned out to be something much deeper. The pacing is slow and deliberate, the visuals stunning, with beautiful cinematography and an authentic sense of Tuscany's outskirts.

I really don't understand why the ratings are so low - perhaps viewers expected more blood and suspense, but instead got a thoughtful exploration of morality, guilt, and repressed sexuality in Catholic society.

⭐ My rating: 8/10.

Not for those seeking fast-paced action - but definitely for anyone who appreciates psychological drama and European cinema with historical depth.