Netflix’s new true crime show The Monster of Florence gives a scripted glimpse into one of Italy’s longest and most complex investigations, in which authorities set out on an investigation into a serial killer who set out to murder couples for 17 years.
In light of the show’s premiere, Life & Style breaks down everything to know about the show and crime behind the series.
What Is Netflix’s ‘The Monster of Florence’ About?
Set between 1968 and 1985 on the outskirts of Florence, Italy, the show follows the investigation into a serial killer who targets and mutilates young couples. With seemingly no pattern, police were left in confusion over the killer’s motives.
The killer earned the nickname Il Mostro by the press, and he killed 16 victims within 17 years. According to Netflix’s Tudum, the scripted series follows an investigation based on the real-life case that is still open to this day.
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The series consists of four episodes with each episode being told from the perspective of a different suspect.
Who Stars in Netflix’s ‘The Monster of Florence’?
The series was co-created by Leonardo Fasoli and Stefano Sollima and stars Liliana Bottone, Marco Bullitta, Francesca Olia and Giacomo Fadda.
Netflix’s ‘The Monster of Florence’ Is Based on a True Story
While many people have shared their theories on who the killer was, the murderer has never been identified.
The show explores one of the lesser known theories of the case called the “Sardinian trail,” which speculates that the serial killer may have been linked to the Meles, which is a family of Sardinian immigrants in Tuscany.
Three men have been charged with murders tied to Il Mostro, according to CBS News, and the case was reopened by law enforcement in the 2000s. Despite the arrests, the Italian public still considers the case unsolved and the victims’ families are still seeking answers. In fact, many of the victims’ loved ones petitioned for evidence to be reexamined as recently as 2022.
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Ahead of the show’s premiere, Sollima told Time that they decided to focus on the early years of the investigation due to the case’s complexity. “There was not a single perpetrator who has been sentenced for all 16 murders,” he said. “We decided to tell the story from the beginning, when investigators started connecting the dots and realized this might be the act of a serial killer.”
When Does Netflix’s ‘The Monster of Florence’ Premiere?
The Monster of Florence premiered on Netflix on October 22, 2025. All four episodes are currently available to stream.
