Il Mostro - Season 1

Due to its controversial approach, Il Mostro may not be recommended for everyone. The true story about the Monster of Florence is bizarre to follow. The police investigation into the murders has its share of shortcomings. This results in more deaths than perhaps necessary. The murderer of young couples in the Florence region is extremely violent. Especially the mutilation of women after their death is of unprecedented cruelty. Between 1968 and 1985, eight couples were killed by this serial killer. The Monster of Florence consistently used the same gun, a .22 caliber Beretta.

This Beretta is linked to a murder in 1968. Therefore, the first murder by the serial killer is quickly identified. Interestingly, a child was an unwitting witness to that first murder. He was asleep in the backseat of the car and managed to escape in a remarkable way. Because the first murder often provides the most clues, the police revisit that initial murder. This is the foundation of the story of this miniseries.



The most remarkable aspect of Il Mostro is that the story is told from different perspectives. As a result, in four episodes, you get to see different versions leading up to the murder of the first couple. It's painfully clear that much misfortune preceded the murder. The adulterous woman who is murdered has a very painful past. Her husband is convicted of the double murder, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's much more going on. Through conversations with the husband, the now older child from the backseat, as well as various suspects and witnesses, the story is gradually unraveled. At least, each version finds its place, because if you look up the story, you'll know that the outcome is as frustrating as the investigation and the cause itself.

The most remarkable aspect of Il Mostro is that the story is told from different perspectives.

Il Mostro has a completely unique dynamic. The Italians manage to capture the atmosphere of the time in which it takes place perfectly. The use of sepia images with a dark tint fits perfectly with the dark story. The life of Italians at that time seems completely different from ours. This makes it sometimes hard to imagine that this really happened. Unfortunately, it turns out that women did not have a favorable status in Italy back then. The fact that the woman is adulterous has a very sad and, hopefully for us, unimaginable cause. It's also painfully clear that she is not the only woman with a painful story. This is likely one of the reasons why the series' ratings are quite low.



It all feels incredibly unbelievable and bizarre. Yet director Stefano Sollima (Gomorra (2014), Suburra, and ZeroZeroZero) made this series based on the extensive official files available. This makes it all the more painful and impactful. Not only because of the murders and the serial killer himself, but also the shocking fact that there were so many men who could have just as easily become serial killers makes it extra unpleasant to watch. The unequal position of women in Italy is not avoided in the series. The fact that this position of women is also based on files from that time makes it all the more distressing.

The series requires some getting used to because Il Mostro is not exactly standard for several reasons.

Personally, once I got used to the storytelling style, I became increasingly impressed with the story and the way it was portrayed. The series requires some acclimatization because Il Mostro is not standard in several ways. The past wasn't always better. Il Mostro demonstrates this in a very compelling way.