Netflix unveils true-crime series on 'Monster of Florence' from 'Gomorrah' and 'Sicario 2' director

Crime cinema veteran Stefano Sollima, known for some of Italy's most popular short-form and long-form properties such as Gomorrah and Romanzo Criminale, is bringing out a new four-part limited series, Il Mostro, based on the chilling exploits of the real-life serial killer dubbed 'Monster of Florence'. It will premiere on Netflix on October 22, to commemorate Netflix's launch in Italy a decade ago.

Netflix has released the first teaser footage to give us a glimpse of what to expect. Sollima, who also directed crime films such as Suburra and Sicario: The Day of the Soldado, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve's Sicario, co-created the series with Leonardo Fasoli.

Although the murders didn't occur in Florence, the killer was named after the place since the incidents happened around Florence. The killer, whose identity remains unknown to this day, operated between 1968 and 1985, targeting young couples in a conservative 1970s Italy. His weapon of choice in all the murders was always a .22 calibre Beretta, while also mutilating his victims.

Given the complex, confusing, and controversial nature of the case, it drew parallels to another unsolved investigation, of the Zodiac killer in the U.S. It's not yet clear whether the killings were committed by one person or several. Interestingly, there were theories connecting the Florence killer and the Zodiac killer to be the same person.

As per the makers, Il Mostro will make its primary narrative focus the various theories, sense of paranoia, and multiple suspects — the psychological impact, the shame, and other after-effects — rather than going for a police procedural or legal drama approach.

“We wanted to tell the story from the inside out,” says Sollima. “Not just what happened, but how it felt — the fear, the suspicion, the human cost. Because when a case like this stays unresolved for so long, the line between guilt and innocence begins to blur.”

Produced by Lorenzo Mieli, Stefano Sollima, and Gina Gardini, Il Mostro has a cast comprising Marco Bullitta, Valentino Mannias, Francesca Olia, Liliana Bottone, Giacomo Fadda, Antonio Tintis, and Giordano Mannu.

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