A Review of Netflix's La Mante

picture source: http://www.mymedia.fr/en/netflix-rachete-serie-tf1-mante/

La Mante (The Mantas) is tale of a murderess, her son and a serial killer.

Imprisoned serial killer Jeanne Deber, The Mantas, offers to help solve a string of copycat murders, except she has one condition - she wants to work with her estranged son, Damien Carrot. Damien is a married cop who has dedicated his life to proving he is nothing like his mother. Together, they track a psychotic killer, each murder uncovering pieces of Damien and Jeanne's past.

How gruesome is it? Very. The murders, while you don't actually see them play out, are sadistic in nature. Genitals chopped off, decapitation...You see the bodies, the crime scene photos, and blood. A whole lot of blood.

What makes this different from all the other murder mysteries? It's more than just the connection between criminal (mom) and detective (cop), although it's a compelling and twisted-ly beautiful tale of redemption. Each murder is  unique enough to make you cringe while simultaneously acknolwedge the writer and creator's creativity. It's difficult to come up with fresh ways to kill off characters, but La Mante does so with a perfect balance of art and disgust for the audience.

Also, the last two episodes are incredible.

Who is your favorite character? Carole Bouquet, who played Jeanne, did an incredible job. Jeanne's character arc thoroughly intrigued me, but the way Bouquet played the part really brought The Mantas to life. Her death stare, narrow eyes, pinched eyebrows...And how Bouquet transformed Jeanne all the way to the big finale made her my favorite character.

What surprised you the most about this show? The ending. But not so much about the plot, although I enjoyed the twist and didn't see it coming. What I loved was the character evolution, and the realization that while, yes I was watching a murder mystery show, I was also watching a drama between a mother and her son.

Would you recommend this show? If you like this genre, I recommend it. If blood and murder shows aren't your thing, sit this one out. It's in French with subtitles and can be binge watched on Netflix.

Rating : R for violence, gore, sex, nudity, language.