La Mante

Carole Bouquet, a glam star from past decades, plays a Mom doing a life term for a series of brutal killings. Her son, Damien, is a senior investigator with Paris police, who are investigating a series of copycat killings. He has a drop- dead pretty wife, who would like to start a new family, but Damien is haunted by the mess in his family background (try a serial killer Mom & an abusive dad who 'disappeared' sometime before her spree began).

Problem is: they stare a lot. Damien has an explosive temper and often throws hissy fits when his wife asks for clarification or compassion.

Anyway, we have a couple of major plot twists and a few scenes you might want to fast-forward, and a thrilling climax. Not as good as the Korean entries on Netflix, surprisingly, but a good way to burn a weekend with this 6-parter.i

Netflix recommended this because I liked Le Chalet, and they do have elements in common. Slow burner with good characterisation and a few twists. A slightly offbeat police drama, which stretches credulity more than slightly. Nethertheless, recommended, especially for Francophiles.

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.

I enjoyed watching this series and was really impressed with the quality of the acting, especially with Carole Bouquet, Fred Teston and Manon Azem. While the plot has some unrealistic elements, the relationship between the mother and son was portrayed with emotion and was compelling to watch. I have seen many thrillers (The Fall, The Killing, The Disappearance), but have not seen this particular mother/son dynamic before. I ended up binge-watching this series, something that I don't normally do. For this reason, I am rating it as a 9. I hope that there will be a second season.

I watch a lot of tv. When this Netflix original series popped up it looked right up my ally. I was not disappointed! Do not let the French speech with subtitles put you off. This is a well written, well acted, tense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and thirsty for more. Every episode Is beautifully crafted with fantastic character work. I raced through the six part series and immediately watched the whole thing again so that my husband could enjoy it too. If you are a fan of Wire In The Blood, Luther, Waking The Dead etc. this is a must see. Le Mante spurred me into writing my first review on IMDB ever!