The Perfect Replacement For One Of The Best Dark Thrillers Ever Made Hits Netflix This Week

Nearly two decades after its release, David Fincher’s Zodiac remains one of the best dark thrillers ever. Based on Robert Graysmith’s books, the Jake Gyllenhaal-led movie documents the real-life investigation into the Zodiac Killer in a film that continues to captivate audiences. Movies and TV shows like Mindhunter and Memories of Murder have proven to be great options for those looking for more of the same thrills, and another title is about to join the list. On October 22nd, a four-part cold case drama is scheduled to hit Netflix, and it just may be the perfect replacement for Zodiac fans.

The title in question is The Monster of Florence, a new true crime drama streaming on Netflix this week. Created by writer-director Stefano Sollima and writer Leonardo Fasoli, the series centers around the decades-long investigation into the “Monster of Florence,” Italy’s first serial killer. Across a 17-year reign of terror between 1968 and 1985, the unknown killer murdered eight couples with a .22 caliber Beretta in the Tuscan hills, leading to one of the most gripping and confounding Italian investigations. Marco Bullitta, Valentino Mannias, Francesca Olia, Liliana Bottone, Giacomo Fadda, Antonio Tintis, and Giordano Mannu star.

Netflix’s The Monster of Florence Is Perfect for Fans of Zodiac

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Fans looking for something else to watch after viewing Zodiac for the umpteenth time need to add The Monster of Florence to their Netflix watchlists. The two titles are set an ocean apart but bear striking similarities. Both stories are grounded in decades-long unsolved cases, and Italy’s Monster of Florence case is even often compared to America’s Zodiac Killer. Both Zodiac and The Monster of Florence also center on the frustrating and consuming search for an elusive serial killer, with Netflix’s four-part series exploring the different suspects and theories surrounding the crime. The two stories also aim, and according to reviews, succeed at reconstructing the atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion that permeated Italy and America as the crimes went unsolved.

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Netflix’s The Monster of Florence doesn’t yet have a Rotten Tomatoes score, but Tobias Jones wrote of the film for The Guardian, “That’s what the Monster story can do to people. Public prosecutors, journalists, film-makers and barflies become fixated. But as we pile up names, facts and distant connections, the story slips from the true crime genre into a fable about the evasiveness of truth.”

Now Streaming on Netflix

Tons of exciting new additions have arrived to the Netflix streaming library throughout October. Subscribers looking for more gripping true crime stories should watch The Perfect Neighbor, a powerful documentary about the fatal shooting of Ajike Owens and Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. The third installment of Netflix’s Monster series, this season focused on Ed Gein, is now also streaming. Other must-watch October additions include The Diplomat Season 3, The Martian, and the upcoming second season of Nobody Wants This, which returns on October 23rd.

The Monster of Florence starts streaming on Netflix on October 22nd. Zodiac is available to stream on Paramount+ and MGM+, as well as VOD.

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