Disappointment for a huge fan!

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Plus no more of killers going after friends and family of cops. It's a tired cliche. And when you find out the killer knows about your friends and family, why don't they have 24 hour police protection? And if you're running into a hotel to catch a killer, bring more people. And when you know how the killer subdues their victims, why would you fall for it? And where are your comrades when chasing the perp? They were right behind you. Did they decide that the hero cop could catch the bad guy on their own? It's cliched writing. Do better.SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS . . . . . . . . . The killer reveal? WTF was that? I had my suspicions early on, but figured that was too easy and preposterous for them to go that way. But they did, and the cops acted even more idiotic than before. They stay at headquarters, on the phone, while two plain clothes attempt to enter the house? They're looking for a serial killer, and that didn't send the french version of S.W.A.T. in as backup? The two plain clothes cops are so incompetent at their job, that they get taken out by the crazy person? Which is another thing; the crazy person was in the lives of our hero and his wife for at least 5 years, and not once did this person act weird with them? Then on a dime they become a grinning, wide eyed, nut bag? That's not how insanity works (but it IS how lazy writing works).I was liking the show up until the last few episodes when the stupid just kept piling up.

This decade, the French have created dozens of good (mini)series noted by those who are fond of UK-Nordic type of thrillers, including me. I had not heard of La Manter before, but a IMDB reference caught my eye with a distinct benchmark - a woman, a mother being a serial killer. The plot, the scenes are intensive, the performances and weather is not-so-French (no joy or sunshine), and the cast is evenly strong but rather unknown to me - I think I had seen only Bouquet and Demolon in other films before. The suspense is maintained almost until the end, and some twists, personal involvements and secrets from the past provide additional value to the series. Well, the final episode was a bit over-sophisticated and I started to foresense some motives and solutions, but nevertheless: La Mante is another success in the French understanding of gloominess and distress - as in real life, crime is never funny or glamurous, and often related to events in the childhood or remote past.

I really enjoyed this series. The acting was great

While this is not a movie the French have some wonderful police mystery/crime dramas such as La Circle Rouge. Those story lines do not paint the police as bumbling idiots as this one does nor use implausible actions for dramatic effect as it also does.For example, La Mantis is being held secretly in a mansion converted to a prison guarded by ONE person. Got that, only one. Escape could be very simple but they would like to show how smart La Mantis is. So she puts food in an air duct to breed insects whose feces are poison then takes these feces and puts them inside a medicine capsule she had been given for migraine. She fakes collapse and when her guard gives her mouth to mouth she forces the capsule into his mouth so he will swallow it. REALLY? Even with just one person who knows just a little wouldn't the first thing they do be do take a pulse and not give mouth to mouth if it isn't required? And why use this hokey method when there are much more straightforward ways to overcome captors? Has anyone seen Silence of the Lambs? Its escape scene is much more intelligent.And that's not all. The main character gives his cell phone number to a childhood friend (who turns out to be his brother) and tells him to call it is the suspected serial killer calls. Then he proceeds NOT to answer his cell phone and let the call go to voicemail. Even when he finally picks up the message he doesn't send the closest police units but goes there himself - without an ambulance - to make sure it takes too long.And the copycat serial killer uses a cell phone whose location they can't identify because they say he is scrambling. Excuse me. Even for through away units you use triangulation so who are they trying to kid.There also is a very annoying lady who wanted to lead the team but the task is given to an undercover person who is La Mantis son because she wants to deal with him. She doesn't follow orders and really ought to be fired. When she does find out the team lead is La Mantis son she erupts with absolutely no understanding of why it was done and the captain tolerates this.The guards for the team leads wife get killed from sheer incompetence - they have no idea how to clear out a house. They put an easily removable tracking device on La Mantis. They do not use a helicopter to keep track of her. How many things can they do wrong? This is, frankly, slander to the French police and very bad drama.