What Is Autopsy About?
The premise of Autopsy in 285 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a sweltering Rome where the mercury climbs and the city seems to sigh under an unease that feels almost palpable, a wave of seemingly random suicides spreads like a whisper through the streets. The heatwave, blamed for the surge, gives the capital an oppressive, almost claustrophobic atmosphere, turning everyday corners into silent witnesses to a growing mystery. The air is thick with speculation, and the line between natural despair and something more calculated blurs, setting a tone that is both chilling and eerily intimate.
_ Simona_ Sena, a young pathologist working long hours in the coroner’s office, has made it her quiet obsession to untangle the forensic knots that suggest these deaths may be staged. Her meticulous research is fueled by a personal undercurrent: the recent death of a girl connected to her own playboy father, a figure whose flamboyant lifestyle casts long shadows over her already strained psyche. When the girl’s body is found in circumstances that echo the city’s recent tragedies, Simona feels an irresistible pull to dig deeper, confronting not only the cold facts on the slab but also the mounting pressure on her mental stamina.
Enter Father Paul Lennox, the brother of the dead girl, whose clerical resolve is matched by a fierce determination to uncover the truth beneath the veil of apparent suicide. Their uneasy alliance brings together scientific rigor and moral conviction, forging a partnership that navigates the foggy streets and sterile corridors of the morgue alike. As they grapple with the unsettling pattern of deaths, the film maintains a tense, brooding rhythm—one that invites the audience to feel the heat, the dread, and the relentless pursuit of answers in a city where every sigh could be a clue.
What Happens in Autopsy?
The complete story of Autopsy, from the first scene to the last, in 880 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Abnormal solar activity is believed to have driven the violent escalation of suicides in Rome. In a city under a strange atmospheric strain, the body count rises in stark, disturbing ways: a woman cuts her wrists in a bathroom, a man slips into a river with a plastic bag over his head, another dies in his car after setting it on fire, and a husband/father shoots his family before turning the gun on himself. Amid the chaos, Simona Sena Mimsy Farmer works long hours at the coroner’s office, where the stress is so crushing that she begins to see the dead as if they’re stepping back to life. She moves through the days with a practiced calm that barely masks a fraying psyche, and she endures regular harassment from her assistant Ivo Ernesto Colli as she tries to hold on to some sense of professional distance and personal dignity.
Into this crowded, dangerous weave enters Betty Lennox [Gaby Wagner], the latest lover of Gianni Sanna [Massimo Serato], whose presence unsettles Simona even as it pulls her deeper into the spiraling mystery. Betty’s body is found on a beach the next morning, a gunshot through the mouth making the death look like suicide. But when Betty’s corpse is reconstructed by Ivo, who has a history of exploiting the dead, Simona recognizes her from a red wig Betty wore in life. Betty’s brother, Father Paul Lennox [Barry Primus], arrives at the morgue to identify his sister and asserts that she was murdered, not allowed to slip away. He implores Simona to help uncover the truth, a request that she meets with initial resistance, wary of the way faith and murder begin to blur.
As the investigation unfolds, Edgar Riccardo [Ray Lovelock], a race car driver with a bruising attitude, surfaces as a man who belittles Simona and tests her resolve. He is connected to Gianni’s life in unexpected ways, and his own pride and aggression complicate every step toward answers. Simona’s world grows even more tangled when she encounters Gianni’s partner Daniella [Angela Goodwin], a controversial artist who embraces bold colors and bold truths, including the red wigs that seem to haunt the case. Daniella’s presence stirs tension with Simona as she navigates both personal flirtations and professional skepticism, especially as she learns that Gianni plans to marry Daniella despite Betty’s entangled ties to the men around him.
A tense night at Gianni’s apartment—above Simona’s own building—brings a close call with a burglar, who searches for something unknown but leaves empty-handed. The encounter deepens the sense that someone is actively hiding crucial evidence. Paul, the priest who has claimed Betty’s murder, grows more insistent; he experiences a seizure during a confrontation with Simona, which shakes him but doesn’t derail his mission. The building’s caretaker—a voyeur who abuses his dog—takes his own life by hanging, a grim echo of the city’s unraveling morality, and Paul’s attempt to resuscitate him ends in failure. As Simona and Paul grow closer, Edgar’s taunts intensify, and he suggests that Paul might be fabricating the entire narrative to feed his own ego and faith.
To test Gianni’s truth, an experiment is conducted using a device that reads eye movements to extract answers from the apparently comatose man. The results are garbled, the wrong drug mix sends Gianni into a deeper coma, and Simona uses the moment to examine the Betty case more closely. She discovers a puncture mark on Betty, proving she was injected and murdered, not simply slain by suicide. Ivo makes a brutal attempt to violate Simona in the heat of the moment, but she defends herself with a fork, stopping just short of killing him when Edgar intervenes and interrupts the assault.
Paul’s church becomes a pressure cooker as he receives Betty’s belongings—among them an old Bible that he believes is a historic document salvaged from Rome’s floods decades ago. The Bible connects to a broader scheme involving Gianni’s brother Lello Sanna [Carlo Cataneo], a dealer in antiquities who may be entangled in illegal schemes. Paul confronts Lello, and the line between sacred duty and secular greed sharpens into a dangerous edge. Edgar finally reveals the truth to his aunt over a weak, hard-of-hearing line: Edgar killed his own father to secure an inheritance and a will, and he had used Betty to manipulate Gianni into retrieving the document. Betty wanted to mail back the will after speaking to Paul, but Edgar drugged her to hear the truth, then shot her to keep control of the situation.
Edgar’s confession, however, does not end the danger. He breathes a last breath after his plan to stage a joint suicide with Paul and Simona is foiled. The trio fights back against his deadly scheme, Paul turning on the bathroom faucet to flood the room and summon help as the dog’s alert saves them from a carbon monoxide trap. The climax unfolds on a familiar scaffold, where Edgar tries to kill them both; Paul survives the fall, but Edgar’s grip on the edge gives way, and he plummets to his death before a crowd that rushes to the scene, leaving Simona to confront the heavy truth that the case has pressed upon them all: some questions may be answered, but the cost is a heavier silence than before.
Autopsy Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening: Rome's suicides tied to solar activity and Simona's stress” to “Final confrontation on the scaffolding”. 15 events name a place, across 13 locations.
- 1
Opening: Rome's suicides tied to solar activity and Simona's stress
In Rome, abnormal solar activity is linked to a surge in suicides, setting a grim backdrop for the story. Simona Sena, a resident pathologist, endures crushing stress at the coroner's office and begins to hallucinate the victims returning to life. She also endures regular harassment from assistant Ivo, while Edgar's volatile presence adds to the tension.
Where:Rome, coroner's office
- 2
Betty Lennox's death and identification
Betty Lennox meets Simona, stirring tension between their lives. The next morning, Betty is found dead on a beach, shot in the mouth, in what appears to be a suicide turned murder. In the morgue, Ivo reconstructs Betty's body and Simona recognizes her by the red wig she wore when they first met.
When:Morning after meeting Where:Beach; Morgue
- 3
Father Paul Lennox arrives to identify Betty
Betty's brother, Father Paul Lennox, arrives to identify his sister and asserts that she was murdered. He pleads with Simona to help uncover the truth and brings the case into the church's orbit. Simona is reluctant but begins to sense dark forces at work.
Where:Morgue
- 4
Edgar recognizes Paul as a former race car driver
Edgar recognizes Paul as the former race car driver who crashed in a previous race, killing many spectators. This revelation casts Paul in a new, suspicious light and fuels doubt about his involvement. The moment deepens the tension surrounding Betty's case.
Where:Rome
- 5
Simona meets Gianni and Daniella
Simona meets Gianni, who reveals he is marrying his steady girlfriend Daniella, a controversial artist who wears red wigs like Betty did. Simona and Daniella clash over Daniella's art and motives. Seeking answers, Simona goes up to Gianni's apartment above hers for more information.
Where:Gianni's apartment
- 6
Simona confronts Paul; seizure and aftermath
Simona confronts Paul about his past, and their argument escalates until Paul experiences a seizure but soon recovers. The incident deepens Simona's concern about both Paul and Betty's case. It also intensifies the sense that nothing in this mystery is straightforward.
Where:Building
- 7
The building super's suicide
The building's voyeuristic superintendent is found hanging in his bathroom, using his dog's leash as the noose. Paul attempts resuscitation but the man is dead, a grim reminder of how danger hides in ordinary spaces. The tragedy shakes the investigation and raises questions about the building's secrets.
Where:Building bathroom
- 8
Edgar pushes for the France plan and next race
Edgar insists on moving forward despite Paul's theories about Betty's murder and pushes for a trip to France with Simona. He also arranges for Simona and Paul to attend his next race, hoping the event will settle the dispute and reveal clues. The track becomes a charged backdrop for shifting allegiances.
Where:Race track
- 9
Edgar's windshield blast and near-fire
During the race, Edgar's car windshield blows out, and he narrowly escapes his car going up in flames. The near-disaster heightens the sense that someone is actively sabotaging him. The incident further complicates the fragile trust among the main characters.
Where:Race track
- 10
Betty's note, Lello suspected, Gianni's fall
Gianni receives Betty's suicide note, enclosed in an envelope Simona had given Betty, but the envelope contains nothing else. Believing Lello stole the enclosed document, Gianni confronts him, and soon after is severely paralyzed from a fall out the window. The fall leaves Gianni unable to speak and relying on eyelid movements.
Where:Gianni's apartment
Show the other 5 events of Autopsy Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Paul and Lello confrontations
Paul suggests that Betty's note may conceal a historic document and accuses Lello of theft. He directly confronts Lello, who nearly shoots him in a tense confrontation, heightening the sense that antiquities dealing is at the heart of the conspiracy. The confrontation tightens the web of suspects around the case.
Where:Near Gianni's apartment
- 12
Eye-tracking experiment and Betty's murder clue
An experiment using eye-tracking on Gianni interprets his expressions to answer questions about his fall, but a wrong drug cocktail sends him into a coma. The team later detects a puncture mark on Betty, confirming she was injected and murdered. This discovery provides a crucial clue linking the killings to a calculated scheme.
Where:Medical facility / lab
- 13
Ivo's assault and Edgar's intervention
Ivo assaults Simona, forcing his hand up her uniform in a crude molestation. Edgar interrupts, preventing a worse assault and shifting the balance of power among the trio. The moment underscores the mounting danger surrounding Simona.
Where:Office / morgue vicinity
- 14
Edgar's confession and attempted staging of a joint suicide
Edgar finally confesses his role in the crime to Simona and Paul, then drugs them in an attempt to stage their joint suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. Paul manages to trigger an escape plan, foiling the murder attempt and turning the tables on Edgar. The confession lays bare the motive tied to inheritance and old crimes.
Where:Edgar's apartment
- 15
Final confrontation on the scaffolding
Paul confronts Edgar at his favorite photography scaffolding. Edgar tries to kill them by throwing them off, but Paul saves himself. Edgar loses his grip and plummets to his death in front of Simona as bystanders rush to the scene, ending the immediate danger.
When:Final Where:Scaffolding
Who Are the Main Characters in Autopsy?
9 characters, among them Simona Sena (Mimsy Farmer), Betty Lennox (Gaby Wagner) and Father Paul Lenox (Barry Primus): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- SS
Simona Sena (Mimsy Farmer)
Played by Mimsy Farmer
A resident pathologist at the coroner's office, Simona is overwhelmed by brutal cases and the strain of her job, which fuels her psychological fragility. She endures harassment from Ivo and becomes entangled with Edgar while pursuing the truth about Rome's rising suicides. Her keen attention to detail and stubborn resolve push the investigation forward.
- 🧠 Psyche
- 🔎 Investigator
- 💔 Inner conflict
- BL
Betty Lennox (Gaby Wagner)
Played by Gaby Wagner
Betty's apparent suicide sets off the chain of events that expose a web of secrets and resentments. Her death acts as the catalyst for the investigation and reveals the vulnerable dynamics among Simona, Gianni, and others. Betty's murder motive ties into inheritance and deception.
- 🎭 Femme fatale
- 💔 Tragic end
- 🔒 Secrets
-
Father Paul Lenox (Barry Primus)
Played by Barry Primus
A priest who believes Betty was murdered and urges the investigation forward. His moral certainties clash with the messy realities of crime, family secrets, and a stubborn belief in truth at any cost. His presence adds a religious and ethical dimension to the mystery.
- ⚖️ Moral compass
- 🕵️♂️ Conflict
- 🧭 Resolve
- GS
Gianni Sanna (Massimo Serato)
Played by Massimo Serato
A businessman entangled with Betty and the contest over an old document and inheritance. His marriage plans and partnerships complicate rivalries and motives, culminating in a paralytic fall that heightens the urgency to reveal the truth.
- 💼 Wealth
- 🧭 Ambition
- 🧩 Family ties
- ER
Edgar Riccardo (Ray Lovelock)
Played by Ray Lovelock
A race car driver who uses charisma to manipulate those around him and to mask his murderous actions. He is revealed as the killer, orchestrating a web of lies until his plan unravels in a climactic confrontation.
- 💰 Greed
- 🔪 Murderer
- 🎭 Deception
- I(
Ivo (Ernesto Colli)
Played by Ernesto Colli
The assistant who harasses Simona and embodies abuse of power in the morgue. His predatory behavior creates danger for Simona and complicates the investigation as fear and corruption swirl around the case.
- ⚖️ Abuse of power
- 🔬 Forensics
- 🤮 Harassment
- DL
Danielle Lennox (Angela Goodwin)
Played by Angela Goodwin
Gianni's artist fiancée who clashes with Simona and contributes to the case's emotional and social tensions. Her red wig mirrors the themes of appearance versus truth and public image.
- 🎨 Artist
- 💔 Affair
- 🚦 Tension
- LS
Lello Sanna (Carlo Cataneo)
Played by Carlo Cataneo
Gianni's business partner whose dispute over documents and inheritance fuels suspicion. His involvement deepens the plot's financial and familial intrigue and precedes a dramatic fall that leaves him incapacitated.
- 💼 Inheritance
- 🕵️♂️ Secrets
- 🧩 Rivalry
- C(
Caretaker (Leonardo Severini)
Played by Leonardo Severini
The building's caretaker observed the living and the dead in the apartment where key events unfold. His quiet presence and the discovery of private tensions add texture to the case's atmosphere and danger.
- 🐕 Dog lover
- 🚪 Hidden
- 🕳️ Tension
Where and When Is Autopsy Set?
Autopsy is set in Rome and Italy (Late 1970s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Late 1970s
The events occur in the late 1970s, a period marked by urban tension and a film culture that blends crime with psychological drama. Rome's pace—workdays in the morgue, nocturnal racing scenes, and discreet imports of documents—reflects a city on edge. The period context colors the story's tone with a sense of danger and social change.
Where
Rome, Italy
The action unfolds across Rome's urban landscape, from the bustling coroner's office to sunlit beaches and shadowy apartments. The city's public institutions and historic streets set a dense backdrop for a crime thriller grounded in private lives as much as in procedure. This setting emphasizes a late-20th-century Rome where public life and private intrigue collide.
- 🗺️ Rome
- 🏙️ City
- 🏛️ Italy
What Are the Themes of Autopsy?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Mental State, Investigation and Inheritance.
-
01
Mental State
Simona's psychological strain from the brutal autopsy environment leads to credible and unsettling hallucinations of victims. The harassment she endures and the crisis of confidence she faces push her perception toward the brink. The theme explores how trauma and stress blur the boundary between reality and illusion in a medical setting.
-
02
Investigation
Forensics and deduction drive the plot as autopsy findings, injections, and wills reveal intertwined motives. Clues surface about staged suicides, hidden documents, and the network of deceit surrounding the characters. The pursuit of truth battles deception, fear, and the risk of moral compromise.
-
03
Inheritance
A race for a will and antiquities exposes greed as a primary driver of violence. The relationships among Gianni, Betty, Lello, and Edgar become tools in a bid for wealth. The plot shows how inheritance can corrupt loyalty and spark lethal confrontations. In the end, money exposes the characters’ true natures.
What Kind of Film Is Autopsy?
Dark in tone, with variable pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Variable
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bittersweet
An oppressive and paranoid thriller that plunges a fraying pathologist into a city gripped by false suicides and a sadistic killer, creating a deeply unsettling and suspenseful viewing experience.
- oppressive
- suspenseful
- anxious
- paranoid
- gritty
- somber
- crime investigation
- serial killer
- moral decay
- grief and loss
Content notes: suicide, sexual assault, murder of a child, gory violence.
Quiz
How well do you remember Autopsy? Test yourself on the story.
