What Is Death Smiles on a Murderer About?
The premise of Death Smiles on a Murderer in 309 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the dimming light of an early‑twentieth‑century estate, Greta drifts between the fragile world of mortal longing and an unearthly promise of rebirth. Haunted by a childhood scarred by violence at the hands of her brother Franz, she also bears the lingering temptation of a forbidden romance with the aristocratic physician Dr. von Ravensbrück. When tragedy severs her fragile hopes, a desperate, ancient Incan formula is invoked, turning grief into a strange, lingering existence that bridges life and death.
The film unfolds amid fog‑filled moors, candle‑lit crypts, and the austere grandeur of a noble household, where scientific curiosity and occult superstition coexist in uneasy partnership. A muted palette of sepia and shadow underscores a tone that is both gothic romance and eerie thriller, inviting the audience to feel the chill of a world where every polished hallway might conceal a secret altar, and every whispered conversation hints at hidden alchemy. The atmosphere pulses with an intangible dread, as the line between love and obsession blurs beneath the weight of centuries‑old myths.
Greta returns not merely as a specter of sorrow but as an uncanny avenger, driven by a need to settle old scores and confront the family that once condemned her. Franz, still bound to her by twisted devotion, becomes both protector and pursuer, his obsessive love shaping a fragile alliance that threatens to implode. Around them, the aristocratic circle—steeped in privilege and denial—provides a backdrop of elegant menace, where polite façades mask a simmering unrest.
A lone investigator prowls the periphery, drawn to the unsettling symbols and the lingering presence of the ancient medallion that seems to pulse with an otherworldly rhythm. The story teases a mystery that beckons beyond the immediate grief, hinting at a deeper, unknowable power that may either bind the living to the dead or shatter the fragile balance of the world they inhabit.
What Happens in Death Smiles on a Murderer?
The complete story of Death Smiles on a Murderer, from the first scene to the last, in 863 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 6 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
- In a crypt-like room, the hunchbacked Franz von Holstein, Luciano Rossi, mourns Greta, his young sister and only love. A first flashback reveals a dark moment between them, where Franz commits an act of sexual violence against Greta, and she then confesses a desperate wish to leave this cursed place, to live among people. In a second flashback, Greta playfully provokes him to chase her when she stumbles upon Doctor Herbert von Ravensbrück, and the two become romantically involved while Franz watches from the shadows, a haunting prelude to the tangled fates that will follow.
- Walter von Ravensbrück, Sergio Doria, and his wife Eva, Angela Bo von Ravensbrück, are served tea by their loyal butler Simeon, Marco Mariani, when a carriage hurtles by and overturns, its coachman fatally impaled. Inside the overturned coach lies Greta, unconscious. Inspector Dannick, Attilio Dottesio, would like to question Greta, but Walter persuades him to hold off. Doctor Sturges, Klaus Kinski, is summoned to examine her. He discovers that Greta bears a gold medallion etched with the inscription “Greta 1906” and cryptic symbols that unsettle him.
Gertrude, the Ravensbrück’s maid, Carla Mancini, has already recognized Greta, and Franz von Holstein’s apparition begins to haunt her room, vanishing and reappearing as a menacing presence. He also slits Gertrude’s neck, a wound that bleeds yet mysteriously vanishes, a sign of something beyond the living. Dr. Sturges finds a matching scar on Greta’s neck and tests her with a needle in her right eyeball, which causes no pain and confirms he is dealing with something undead. When he checks the coachman’s death certificate, he opens the coffin to reveal rapid decomposition, another sign that Greta was undead at the moment of the crash. Sturges keeps these astonishing truths secret.
Gertrud packs her belongings and attempts to leave, but is pursued by Franz’s spectral figure and ultimately killed by an unseen assailant. Meanwhile, in his underground laboratory, Sturges works to unlock the medallion’s cryptic symbols—the key to a formula for reviving life. He succeeds in briefly animating one of his corpses, only to be strangled by an unseen force along with his deaf lab assistant and the revived body.
Walter and Eva deepen their relationship as they watch Greta: Eva’s jealousy swells while Greta and Walter share quiet moments. Observing a clandestine meeting between Walter and Greta, Eva’s jealousy erupts. In Walter’s absence, Eva lures Greta into the villa’s cellar, confesses her hatred, and walls her up alive. Eva then lies to Walter, claiming Greta has departed unexpectedly. Inspector Dannick resumes the search, but Greta’s whereabouts remain a mystery.
A month later, a masquerade ball fills the villa with shadow and scent of danger. During a party game, Eva is asked to guess the identities of the masked guests. A woman in red, whose name Eva cannot guess, discreetly reveals herself when her mask comes off: Greta, who vanishes as she unburdens herself of her disguise. Eva checks Greta’s chamber, only to be confronted by a dark cat that leaps through a wall opening and leads her to Greta, whose face morphs into a rotting corpse. Greta stalks Eva to the attic, where Eva dies screaming.
Herbert von Ravensbrück, Walter’s father, returns for Eva’s funeral and glimpses Greta at a distance, triggering a flood of memories from 1906: Greta dies in childbirth, and Franz points a finger of blame at him. After Eva’s funeral, Herbert lingers by Greta’s grave. Greta emerges from the shadows and taunts him about the unborn child’s death, asking for a kiss; her face again becomes rotten, and he flees into a crypt. The door slams shut, and Eva’s newly risen corpse advances toward him.
Back in Walter’s room, a dark cat slips in, and Greta sits at his bedside, creeping into his bed as her visage turns to putrid flesh. In the granary, Greta lures Simeon out of hiding and promises him money, or even love, if he keeps her identity secret, then kills him. The police cover up the body, while Walter’s corpse is found clutching Greta’s medallion.
Inspector Dannick seeks answers from Professor Kempte, Fernando Cerulli, who explains that the medallion’s symbols point to a Maya/Incan belief in a life-restoring formula. The brilliant former student Franz von Holstein had pursued deciphering it but abandoned the project after Greta’s death. Kempte then gives Dannick Franz’s address.
In a final, sunlit flashback to 1906, Franz approaches Greta, dressed in white and carrying white flowers. He claims to have revived her and vows they will leave together, placing the medallion around her neck as proof of their “new creation.” Greta throws the white flowers into his face, and they transform into the dark cat, which kills him. Greta, her dress turning red, giggles and leaves with a sly smile. Dannick, entering in 1909, discovers Franz’s corpse.
At the cemetery, Dannick gazes at Greta’s photograph on her empty grave, wondering if he will ever solve the mystery of a woman he never truly saw. Returning home, he finds the figure he believed to be his wife waiting with her back to him turn around: an aged Greta, smiling, and perhaps recognizing her own face in his gaze.
Death Smiles on a Murderer Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Franz mourns Greta in a crypt” to “Aged Greta appears to Dannick”. 14 events name a place, across 14 locations.
- 1
Franz mourns Greta in a crypt
In a crypt-like room, Franz von Holstein mourns Greta, his sister and forbidden love. A flashback shows Franz sexually assaulting her, and Greta pleads that they leave the cursed place to live among people. The scene establishes the twisted bond that shadows the story.
When:1906 Where:Crypt-like room
- 2
Greta and Ravensbrück's affair
Greta teases Franz into chasing her, prompting their complicated dynamic. Doctor Herbert von Ravensbrück enters the scene and becomes romantically involved with Greta while Franz watches from hiding. The affair deepens Greta's connections and sets up future conflicts.
When:1906 Where:Ravensbrück residence (flashback)
- 3
Greta's death and undead discovery
A coach crash on the road leaves Greta unconscious and presumed dead. Doctor Sturges examines her, noting a gold medallion and unsettling symbols that hint she is undead. He hides these discoveries as he continues his investigations.
When:1909 Where:Road to the villa / Doctor Sturges's lab
- 4
Getrud haunted and murdered
Getrud, the Ravensbrücks' servant, is haunted by Franz's apparition who repeatedly vanishes and reappears. He slits her neck with a scalpel, producing a bleeding wound that vanishes as if decayed. This marks one of the first killings tied to the undead cycle.
When:1909 Where:Getrud's quarters
- 5
Sturges revives a corpse; murder in the lab
Sturges attempts to bring a corpse back to life in his underground laboratory, using the medallion's enigmatic formula. He succeeds briefly before an unseen assailant strangles him, along with the revived corpse and his deaf assistant. The revelation tightens the mystery surrounding the medallion.
When:1909 Where:Underground laboratory
- 6
Walter and Eva fall in love with Greta
Walter von Ravensbrück and his wife Eva grow closer to Greta as their feelings develop. Eva's jealousy grows when she spies Greta and Walter together. In Eva's absence, Greta is lured into the villa's cellar and locked up, setting up a deadly confrontation.
When:1909 Where:Villa
- 7
Masquerade reveals Greta's return
A month after Greta's disappearance, a masquerade ball reveals Greta in a red dress during a game of guessing identities. She exposes herself during the game and, later, Greta's face appears rotten after a cat jumps and Greta smiles. Eva follows and Greta's echoing terror escalates.
When:1909 Where:Villa's masquerade hall
- 8
Herbert's funeral and a 1906 flashback
During Eva's funeral, Herbert von Ravensbrück glimpses Greta and is struck by a memory of Greta's 1906 death. The vision triggers a flashback where Greta dies in childbirth and Franz accuses Herbert. The moment ties Greta's return to past guilt and foreshadows the curse.
When:1909 Where:Funeral grounds
- 9
Grave confrontation and transformation
After Eva's funeral, Herbert visits Greta's grave where Greta appears behind him and reminds him of their baby's prenatal death. Greta's request for a kiss leads to another shocking transformation as her face rots. He flees to a crypt seeking shelter.
When:1909 Where:Greta's grave and crypt
- 10
Walter's night encounter with Greta
Walter lies in bed as a dark cat enters his room. Greta sits by his bed, slides into his embrace, and her face begins to rot as she kisses him. The undead presence continues to haunt the Ravensbrück family.
When:1909 Where:Walter's bedroom
Show the other 4 events of Death Smiles on a Murderer Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Greta kills Simeon in the granary
In the granary, Greta lures Simeon out of hiding and promises wealth or love as a reward for his silence. She kills him while the police contain the aftermath. Walter's body is later found clutching Greta's medallion, deepening the mystery.
When:1909 Where:Family granary
- 12
Dannick learns about the medallion's symbols
Inspector Dannick consults Professor Kempte about the medallion's inscriptions, which link to an Incan myth of reviving a king. Kempte explains that Franz von Holstein had studied the symbols but stopped after Greta's death. Dannick receives Franz's address, setting up the pursuit.
When:1909 Where:Professor Kempte's lab
- 13
Final 1906 revival and Franz's downfall
In a final flashback, Franz declares he has brought Greta back to life and tries to leave with her. Greta wears white and accepts his attempt, but the flowers she tosses turn into the dark cat and kill him. Greta, now with a red dress, leaves with a gleeful smile as Dannick discovers Franz's corpse in 1909.
When:1906 Where:Secret chamber
- 14
Aged Greta appears to Dannick
At the cemetery, Dannick looks at Greta's photograph and wonders if he will ever solve the mystery of the enigmatic woman. Returning home, he encounters an aged Greta smiling at him, suggesting an ongoing, unseen presence. The final image closes the circle of Greta's undead legacy.
When:1909 Where:Dannick's home
Who Are the Main Characters in Death Smiles on a Murderer?
7 characters, among them Dr. Sturges, Greta von Holstein and Eva von Ravensbrück: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
-
Dr. Sturges
Played by Klaus Kinski
A brilliant, secretive physician-scientist who labors in an underground workshop to reanimate the dead. His experiments reveal a dangerous mix of ambition, cold rationalism, and ethical compromise.
- 🧪 Scientist
- 🕵️♂️ Secretive
- 🗝 Morally ambiguous
- GV
Greta von Holstein
Played by Ewa Aulin
A young woman whose death and subsequent return as an undead revenant drives the entire narrative. Greta exerts a chilling, alluring presence and embodies vengeance as much as desire.
- 👁 Enigmatic
- 🩸 Revenant
- 💔 Vengeful
- EV
Eva von Ravensbrück
Played by Angela Bo
Walter's wife, consumed by jealousy and ambition. She orchestrates Greta's confinement and wields control through manipulation and fear.
- 💎 Jealous
- 🪦 Ruthless
- 🗝 Calculating
- WV
Walter von Ravensbrück
Played by Sergio Doria
A refined noble whose romantic interest in Greta destabilizes family loyalties. His interactions with Greta become a catalyst for betrayal and tragedy.
- 🏛 Aristocrat
- 💘 Romantic
- 🌀 Obsessive
- ID
Inspector Dannick
Played by Attilio Dottesio
The persistent investigator probing Greta's disappearance. He pieces together clues while the Ravensbrück household remains unsettled by shadows and rumors.
- 🕵️ Inspector
- 🧭 Investigative
- 🕳 Skeptical
- PK
Professor Kempte
Played by Fernando Cerulli
A scholar who explains the medallion's symbols and glimpses the ancient lore behind the resurrection plan. He links Franz's past to the current mystery.
- 📜 Scholar
- 🧪 Alchemist of life
- 🗺 Arcane knowledge
- S
Simeon
Played by Marco Mariani
The Ravensbrück servant who is drawn into Greta's deadly games and becomes a casualty of the supernatural vendetta.
- 🪪 Servant
- 🕯 Obedient
- 🩸 Victim
Where and When Is Death Smiles on a Murderer Set?
Death Smiles on a Murderer is set in Ravensbrück Villa, Underground Laboratory, Graveyard and Granary (1906–1909). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1906–1909
The narrative alternates between 1906, when Greta dies in childbirth and Franz seeks to resurrect her, and 1909, when Greta returns as a revenant. Set in early 20th-century Europe, it blends aristocratic manners with Gothic horror. The era hints at emerging scientific curiosity, secret laboratories, and occult lore shaping a deadly agenda. The mood is moody and suspenseful, emphasizing lineage, forbidden love, and mortality.
Where
Ravensbrück Villa, Underground Laboratory, Graveyard, Granary
The Ravensbrück family mansion is the film's core setting: a sprawling, Gothic villa with a crypt-like room that houses occult experiments. An underground laboratory beneath the estate becomes the workshop where life is attempted to be cheated from death. The surrounding grounds include a cemetery and a granary, each a stage for spectral presence and murder. The opulent interiors and shadow-filled corridors create a claustrophobic atmosphere suited to the tale's mystery.
- 🏰 Gothic manor
- 🕳 Secret laboratory
- 🪦 Graveyard
- 🌫 Haunted estate
What Are the Themes of Death Smiles on a Murderer?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Undeath, Obsession and Masks.
-
01
Undeath
Undeath and resurrection probe the boundaries between science and nature. Dr. Sturges' attempt to revive Greta shows humanity's hubris and the costs of playing god. Greta's return embodies both allure and horror, turning love into danger. The theme is used to explore guilt, obsession, and mortality.
-
02
Obsession
Passion and jealousy drive the plot: Eva's love for Walter fuels Greta's perilous arc. Walter's attraction to Greta strains loyalties and destabilizes the household. Pursuit of possession leads to deception, murder, and a fatal masquerade.
-
03
Masks
Masquerade and illusion reveal hidden identities and motives. Greta's disguise during the party exposes the fragility of appearances and the horror behind familiar faces. The undead transformation underscores duality between surface and substance. The narrative blurs lines between living and dead, truth and performance.
What Kind of Film Is Death Smiles on a Murderer?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
An intensely dark and eerie gothic horror that steadily builds an oppressive atmosphere of supernatural vengeance, incestuous obsession, and grim family secrets, leaving a lingering sense of unresolved dread.
- eerie
- gothic
- oppressive
- menacing
- surreal
- melancholic
- revenge from beyond the grave
- necromancy
- incestuous obsession
- gothic family secrets
Content notes: sexual assault, incest, necrophilia, murder, corpse reanimation, confinement.
Quiz
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Where to Watch Death Smiles on a Murderer
Stream it on Fawesome and JustWatch TV, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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