The Monster of Florence (2025 miniseries)
| The Monster of Florence | |
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| Created by |
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| Directed by | Stefano Sollima |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | Italy |
| Original language | Italian |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | October 22, 2025 |
The Monster of Florence (Italian: Il Mostro, lit. 'The Monster') is an Italian true crime limited series created and directed by Stefano Sollima. It was released worldwide on Netflix on October 22, 2025. The series is based on the true story of Italy's most notorious serial killer case, commonly known as the Monster of Florence.
Premise
The series dramatizes the investigation into a string of eight double homicides in the countryside around Florence between 1968 and 1985. Couples parked in lovers' lanes were targeted and murdered by an unknown assailant armed with a .22 caliber Beretta pistol. The killings led to one of Italy's longest and most complex criminal investigations, raising lasting questions about the identity of the perpetrator.
Cast
- Marco Bullitta as Stefano Mele
- Valentino Mannias as Salvatore Vinci
- Francesca Olia as Barbara Locci
- Giacomo Fadda as Francesco Vinci
- Antonio Tintis as Giovanni Mele
Production
The Monster of Florence consists of four episodes and is co-created by Stefano Sollima and Leonardo Fasoli, who previously worked together on Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero. The series is produced by Lorenzo Mieli, Stefano Sollima, and Gina Gardini for The Apartment and AlterEgo.
Filming took place in Florence and surrounding areas where the events took place in real life, with Paolo Carnera serving as director of cinematography, striving for a period-accurate and documentary-like tone.[1][2]
Release
The series had its world premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It was released worldwide on Netflix on October 22, 2025, coinciding with the streaming service's 10th anniversary in Italy.[3]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Stefano Sollima | Stefano Sollima, Leonardo Fasoli | October 22, 2025 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Stefano Sollima | Stefano Sollima, Leonardo Fasoli | October 22, 2025 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Stefano Sollima | Stefano Sollima, Leonardo Fasoli | October 22, 2025 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Stefano Sollima | Stefano Sollima, Leonardo Fasoli | October 22, 2025 |
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 13 critics' reviews are positive.[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 58 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[5]
References
- ^ "Stefano Sollima on Making Netflix's 'Il Mostro' About Unsolved Sex Murders Outside Florence: 'There Are Lots of Half-Truths'". Variety. 10 October 2023.
- ^ Sollazzo, Boris (28 February 2024). "Italian Filmmaker Stefano Sollima on His Upcoming Netflix Serial-Killer Drama 'Il Mostro'". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "'The Monster of Florence': Official Trailer and New Photos of the Show Directed by Stefano Sollima Coming Only on Netflix October 22". Netflix. 21 August 2025.
- ^ "The Monster of Florence: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "The Monster of Florence: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 11 November 2025.