The Netflix movie to watch is The Mantis. It’s actually a six-episode miniseries that’s the most exciting thing on Netflix streaming right now!
Netflix France is a thing, as far as I’m concerned. Do you remember my piece on The Frozen Dead a couple weeks ago? Well, I’ve stumbled upon another great French program on Netflix. It’s called The Mantis, or La Mante, in French. This thriller explores the topics of serial murder and the dysfunctional family dynamics that often create these killers. Whether you binge-watch it over the course of a weekend or take it nice and slow, you’ll enjoy this amazing and creative Netflix miniseries.
The Mantis: Plot
As Netflix shows go, The Mantis has a lot to offer. Take it’s rather interesting plot. Jeanne Deber, aka “The Mantis,” is a female serial killer who terrorized France 25 years ago. The police and press nicknamed her “The Mantis” because of how she killed her male victims. (Similar to the way the female praying mantis kills the male after mating. That’s all I can say here!) Now in prison, Jeanne offers to help police catch a killer who’s currently murdering people in the same way Jeanne did more than two decades earlier.
For her help, Jeanne wants just one thing in return. She insists on working directly with Detective Damien Carrot, who happens to be her estranged son. As a police officer, Damien isn’t keen on meeting with the woman who murdered so many men. As the copycat killer’s victims continue to pile up, he sees that he must accept The Mantis’s offer. This complicates his marriage to Lucie, who doesn’t know that her husband’s mother is still alive… and is France’s most notorious serial killer.
The Mantis: Themes
Time is an important theme in The Mantis. The copycat is claiming victim after victim, and Damien and his team must catch this person before he or she kills more people. The Mantis cast does a good job of relaying this sense of urgency, as does the show’s writing and pacing. While it’s a race against the clock, another aspect of time is explored here. It’s the concept that time offers distance and perspective needed to better understand and come to terms with the past.
Relationships is another theme in The Mantis. The reappearance of Damien’s mother into his life forces him to confront feelings and emotions that he’d buried long ago. Jeanne also has plenty of family issues to work through, to say the least. Damien’s relationship with his wife undergoes significant transformations throughout the show’s six episodes. Even Damien’s relationship with his team is brought into focus. It’s interesting to see the way these loose ends get tied up. (No spoilers here!)
The Mantis: Verdict
This Netflix show is well worth your time. It’s moody, atmospheric, and builds tension at a steady pace. It also features some solid characterization. All of this and more makes for gripping entertainment from beginning to end. You’ll root for Damien and his team of dedicated detectives as they try to outwit a killer. You’ll also find yourself invested in the various relationships intertwined throughout the series.
Here’s another good thing about The Mantis: it’s a Netflix miniseries. Once you stream all six episodes, the story is done. You won’t be left wondering if Netflix is going to renew this great show for another season. You also won’t feel crushed and frustrated if the streaming service decides not to renew a show you’re invested in. In my opinion, the miniseries is the best thing for true lovers of Netflix original programming. (It’s one of the things that made Netflix’s original series Godless so great.)
Netflix France is a Thing!
I truly believe it is. Judging by The Mantis (and The Frozen Dead), French writers and filmmakers have a firm grasp of their respective crafts. So far, they’ve created original programming that’s every bit as good as their American and British counterparts. I’m impressed though not surprised that Netflix scooped up this miniseries. The “big red network” is streaming service provider with the most original programming, after all.
Speaking of Netflix, here are its movies available for streaming this month:
January 1
10,000 B.C.
30 Days of Night
Age Of Shadows
AlphaGo
America’s Sweethearts
Apollo 13
Batman
Batman & Robin
Batman Begins
Batman Forever
Batman Returns
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Bring It On
Bring It On Again
Bring It On: All or Nothing
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
Bring It On: In It to Win It
Caddyshack
Defiance
Definitely, Maybe
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The First Time
Furry Vengeance
The Godfather
The Godfather: Part II
The Godfather: Part III
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
The Italian Job
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
King Kong
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 4
License to Wed
Like Water for Chocolate
Love Actually
The Lovely Bones
Maddman: The Steve Madden Story
Marie Antoinette
Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World
Midnight in Paris
Monsters vs. Aliens
National Treasure
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
The Shawshank Redemption
Stardust
Strictly Ballroom
Training Day
Treasures From the Wreck of the Unbelievable
Troy
The Truman Show
The Vault
Wedding Crashers
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
January 2
Mustang Island
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Rent
January 5
Before I Wake
Rotten
January 8
The Conjuring
January 10
47 Meters Down (a.k.a. In The Deep)
Alejandro Riaño: Especial de stand up
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
January 12
The Man Who Would Be Polka King
The Polka King
Tom Segura: Disgraceful
January 14
Wild Hogs
January 15
Rehenes
Unrest
January 16
Dallas Buyers Club
Katt Williams: Great America
January 18
Bad Day for the Cut
January 19
The Open House
January 23
Todd Glass: Act Happy
January 24
Ricardo Quevedo: Hay gente así
January 25
Acts of Vengeance
January 26
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Sebastián Marcelo Wainraich
Mau Nieto: Viviendo sobrio… desde el bar
January 29
The Force
January 30
Death Race: Beyond Anarchy
January 31
Cars 3
