What Is Do You Like Hitchcock? About?
The premise of Do You Like Hitchcock? in 255 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a cramped, rain‑slick district of contemporary Italy, a shy film student named Giulio spends his days buried in classics, using the stark visual language of Fritz Lang to shape his thesis. His life is a quiet routine of lectures, bicycle rides, and late‑night viewings, punctuated by a restless desire to watch rather than be seen. The city’s narrow alleys and the humming fluorescence of a neighborhood video store become his private cinema, a place where every reflected surface hints at untold stories.
One evening, Giulio’s solitary world collides with two enigmatic women—Sasha and Federica—who share a fleeting, conspiratorial smile as they both reach for the same Hitchcock title. Their effortless charm and secretive banter ignite a spark of fascination in Giulio, who begins to read their gestures as a cryptic script. Drawn into their orbit, he starts to suspect that beneath their polished veneers lies a dark, possibly murderous plot, a notion that blurs the line between his academic obsession with cinematic suspense and the unsettling reality unfolding around him.
The film settles into a cerebral, tension‑laden mood where ordinary encounters feel like tightly framed shots, and every ordinary glance could be a clue. Giulio’s voyeuristic curiosity pushes him deeper into a maze of perception, where the boundaries between observation and participation dissolve. As he navigates the delicate dance of intrigue, the atmosphere remains steeped in ambiguity, inviting the audience to question what is being watched and what is merely imagined, all while the city’s muted backdrop hums with the promise of hidden danger.
What Happens in Do You Like Hitchcock??
The complete story of Do You Like Hitchcock?, from the first scene to the last, in 875 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 7 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Giulio, Elio Germano, a film student, becomes obsessed with his striking neighbor Elisabetta Rocchetti and uses Fritz Lang films to anchor his thesis. He first catches sight of Sasha at the neighborhood video store, and the day she happens to be there, she is also trying to rent Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train at the same time as Federica Chiara Conti. The two women strike up a tentative friendship, sharing a sense of secrecy and a willingness to discuss films as a way to navigate their own lives. The next morning, while Giulio rides his bike, he witnesses Sasha and Federica sharing a furtive conversation by a fountain, a moment that plants the seed of suspicion in his mind and nudges the plot toward a dangerous echo of the famous film they reference.
An intruder uses a key to enter Sasha’s apartment while her mother, Sasha Zerboni’s Milvia Marigliano, is at home, and Sasha’s mother is soon found dead with a brass pestle, a brutal and intimate murder that jolts the quiet building. The shock wakes Giulio to police questions and a public case that seems to orbit around his neighbor. He pores over the newspaper and learns that Sasha Zerboni was an only child and that her mother was a wealthy widow, a detail that deepens his fixation and pushes his suspicions toward a connection between Sasha and Federica. Back at home, his own mother, Elena Maria Bellini, voices concern about her new fiancé, a detail that quietly mirrors the larger theme of trust and deception threading through the two households.
As the investigation unfolds, Giulio discovers a bank statement showing almost 1 million euros in Sasha’s account, a clue that sharpens his belief that Sasha and Federica are involved in something darker than friendship. When Sasha returns, the cleaning crew chief informs her that Giulio had visited, injecting a sense of looming exposure into the already fragile web of relationships. Then a break-in at Giulio’s apartment—an intruder breaking an empty wine bottle and fleeing when Giulio wakes—raises the stakes and keeps the tension anchored in a real, present danger. To ease his nerves, Giulio invites Arianna Cristina Brondo to stay the night, and the two discuss the role of chance, games of fate, and the possibility that someone close to Federica could be drawn into a deadly scheme, a notion Arianna dismisses as paranoia even as the evidence begins to mount.
The next day, Andrea [Iván Morales], the video store clerk, tells Giulio that Sasha had been in and asked about him, hinting that she knew he watched her. Andrea’s later return to the store and his disappearance from the scene set in motion a chain of events that pulls Federica and her boss into the center of the mystery. When Andrea asks Giulio to mind the shop while he steps out, Giulio uses the opportunity to search Federica’s address on the store computer and follows her to her workplace, tracing the threads that connect Sasha, Federica, and the money at stake. Federica, leaving work with her boss, is revealed to be entangled in a coercive arrangement: the boss is blackmailing Federica for sexual favors tied to money she stole from a client, a detail that reframes the earlier suspicions around Sasha and Federica.
The peril escalates as Federica spots Giulio peering through a window and flees up a ledge, barely escaping a dangerous fall. Giulio fractures his ankle in the escape after sliding down a balcony, and the doctor confirms he will be in a cast for weeks. Arianna comes by to help him mend, and Giulio doubles down on his theory that Federica wants Sasha to kill her boss, though Arianna begs him to drop the dangerous speculation. The tension spikes when Andrea, visiting Giulio, tries to drown him in the tub; during the struggle, Giulio’s mother and her fiancé arrive, and the added chaos leads to Andrea’s fatal hit-and-run outside the apartment.
Sasha is taken into custody by the police, but the investigation continues to twist. Arianna, worried and curious, returns as the case takes a sharper turn: she spots a woman dressed in black approaching Sasha’s apartment, and Giulio realizes that Federica is the real killer. Andrea’s involvement becomes clear as part of a larger, complicating scheme, and the two men’s confrontation near the end of the sequence heightens the danger. Giulio calls the inspector, Edoardo Stoppa, who arrives at Sasha’s apartment just ahead of Arianna’s attempt to confront Federica. The chase leads to a rooftop confrontation, Federica slips from the edge, but the inspector keeps a firm grip and both he and Arianna manage to bring Federica to safety, placing her under arrest.
In the closing moments, Giulio’s cast is finally off, and a quiet postscript hints at new beginnings: his mother calls, and he learns of a fresh, unknowable possibility as a beautiful woman moves into Sasha’s former apartment. She sits almost naked on the sofa, reading a book—the Italian translation of The Window on the Night—unfazed by Giulio’s lingering gaze. The final image lingers on the notion that desire, danger, and the lure of close, watching eyes continue to shape a city where every neighbor could be a mirror, a threat, or a potential ally.
Do You Like Hitchcock? Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Giulio begins spying on Sasha” to “Final scene: a new neighbor and a window to the night”. 14 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Giulio begins spying on Sasha
He starts spying on his attractive neighbor while collecting Fritz Lang films for his film school thesis. He spots Sasha during a planned video-store visit, marking the first seed of the fixation that drives the plot. The encounter sets up the voyeuristic premise that fuels the story.
Where:Video store
- 2
Sasha and Federica bond over Strangers on a Train
Sasha and Federica strike up a friendship while both trying to rent Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train at the same time. They connect in the store and form a bond that hints at the dangerous parallels to the Hitchcock tale. The scene establishes a growing complicity between the two women.
Where:Video store
- 3
By the fountain: a furtive conversation
The next day, Giulio bicycles by and catches Sasha and Federica having a secret conversation by a fountain. The moment deepens the sense that Sasha hides something and that Federica may be involved in more than she lets on. It foreshadows the unfolding conspiracy.
When:The next day Where:Fountain in the city center
- 4
Sasha's mother is murdered
An intruder uses a key to enter Sasha's apartment while her mother is home alone and murders her with a brass pestle. The brutal crime shocks the neighborhood and triggers the police investigation. Giulio becomes a person of interest as the case unfolds.
When:Night Where:Sasha's apartment
- 5
Police question Giulio; he theorizes a Strangers-on-a-Train parallel
Giulio is awakened by the police and questioned about the murder. He begins to suspect Sasha and Federica have formed a deadly bargain like the one in Strangers on a Train. The idea of an accomplice-for-hire arrangement seeds the rest of the plot.
When:That night Where:Near Sasha's apartment / Police station
- 6
Giulio shares his theory with Arianna
The next day, Giulio tells his girlfriend Arianna about his suspicions that Sasha and Federica are in agreement to swap killings. Arianna remains skeptical, but the confession increases the couple's emotional tension. The conversation marks a shift from curiosity to dangerous obsession.
When:The next day Where:Giulio's apartment
- 7
The bank statement and the cleaning crew
Giulio spots the cleaning crew cleaning the crime scene across the street and retrieves a bank statement from the mailbox showing almost 1 million euros in Sasha Zerboni's account. The discovery provides money as a possible motive and a tangible lead. He returns to his apartment to process the clue as new family news arrives.
When:The same day Where:Across the street from Sasha's building / Giulio's apartment
- 8
Sasha receives news of Giulio's visit
Back at Sasha's apartment, the cleaning crew chief informs her that Giulio had visited earlier. Sasha grows more wary, sensing that someone is watching her. The sense of danger widens as more pieces of the mystery fall into place.
When:After Giulio's visit Where:Sasha's apartment
- 9
A break-in and Giulio seeks refuge
An unknown intruder breaks into Giulio's apartment, breaking an empty wine bottle before fleeing when Giulio wakes. To cope with the mounting nerves, Giulio asks Arianna to spend the night. The break-in intensifies the fear that someone is targeting him.
When:Night Where:Giulio's apartment
- 10
Federica's boss threatens her; money and blackmail
The following day, Giulio follows Federica to her workplace and discovers that her boss is blackmailing her for sexual favors over money she stole from a client. The revelation adds a grim dimension to Federica's motives and suggests a web of coercion behind the pair's actions.
When:End of day Where:Federica's workplace / boss's apartment
Show the other 4 events of Do You Like Hitchcock? Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Giulio's fall and hospital time
While tailing Federica, Giulio climbs a building ledge and tumbles, fracturing his ankle. A doctor informs him that he'll need a cast for weeks. Arianna comes to help him mend, and their relationship strains under the weight of the investigation.
When:End of day Where:Federica's building ledge / Hospital
- 12
Andrea's attack and the car crash
Andrea, the video-store clerk, attempts to drown Giulio in the bathtub during a confrontation at Giulio's apartment. Giulio's mother and her fiancé arrive, breaking down the door and pulling Andrea away. Andrea flees into the street and is fatally hit by a car, escalating the danger surrounding the trio.
When:Soon after Where:Giulio's apartment / Street outside
- 13
The true killer revealed and Federica arrested
The police arrest Sasha. Arianna and Giulio see a woman dressed in black—Federica—in disguise around Sasha's apartment, confirming Giulio's theory. Federica is chased to the rooftop, slips, but is caught by the inspector and arrested, ending the immediate threat.
When:After Sasha's arrest Where:Sasha's apartment / Rooftop
- 14
Final scene: a new neighbor and a window to the night
In the film's closing moment, Giulio is out of his cast and receives a call from his mother. He notices a new, almost naked woman reading a book in Sasha's former apartment, a provocative ending that echoes the story's voyeuristic premise. The scene suggests the tension between looking and being watched continues.
When:Final scene Where:Sasha's former apartment
Who Are the Main Characters in Do You Like Hitchcock??
13 characters, among them Giulio (Elio Germano), Sasha Zerboni (Elisabetta Rocchetti) and Federica (Chiara Conti): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
-
Giulio (Elio Germano)
Played by Elio Germano
A film student who fixates on his neighbor Sasha, spying on her and borrowing Fritz Lang films for his thesis. His curiosity spirals into a dangerous theory about matching crimes, mirroring Strangers on a Train. He suffers a fractured ankle after a risky rooftop escape and becomes entangled in a web of suspicion and fear.
- 🎬 Film student
- 🔎 Obsession
- 🧭 Curiosity
- SZ
Sasha Zerboni (Elisabetta Rocchetti)
Played by Elisabetta Rocchetti
An attractive neighbor whose life story includes being an only child with a wealthy widow mother. Her actions become entangled with crime as Giulio pieces together clues about her and Federica. She is ultimately arrested as the investigation unfolds.
- 💎 Wealth
- 🕵️♀️ Mystery
- F(
Federica (Chiara Conti)
Played by Chiara Conti
The real killer who wears disguises and hides in plain sight. She becomes the central figure in the mystery, moving behind the scenes with a web of manipulation and blackmail involving her boss. Her rooftop pursuit ends with police arrest.
- 🎭 Deception
- 🗝️ Mastermind
- A(
Arianna (Cristina Brondo)
Played by Cristina Brondo
Giulio's girlfriend, initially skeptical of his Strangers on a Train theory, but ultimately partners with him in the investigation. She confronts Federica, chases leads, and supports Giulio as danger escalates.
- 💖 Relationship
- 🕵️♀️ Investigation
- A(
Andrea (Iván Morales)
Played by Iván Morales
The video store clerk who becomes involved when Sasha’s plans unfold. He is willing to commit violence and ultimately is killed in a car accident while on the run.
- 🎭 Antagonist
- 🗡️ Violence
- FB
Federica's boss (Giuseppe Lo Console)
Played by Giuseppe Lo Console
A boss who blackmails Federica for sexual favors over money she stole from a client. The dynamic shows the power games that complicate the crime and investigation.
- 💼 Boss
- 🗝️ Blackmail
- CM
Cleaning man (Antonio Mazzara)
Played by Antonio Mazzara
The head of the cleaning crew who mops up the crime scene and informs Sasha of Giulio's visit. He represents the routine side of a city where crimes unfold.
- 🧼 Clean-up
- 🕵️ Investigation
- SM
Sasha's mother (Milvia Marigliano)
Played by Milvia Marigliano
A wealthy widow whose life and murder catalyze the central mystery. Her death triggers Giulio's suspicions and the unraveling of relationships.
- 👩 Widow
- 💎 Wealth
- GM
Giulio's mother (Elena Maria Bellini)
Played by Elena Maria Bellini
Giulio's mother who discusses her new fiancé, adding a domestic thread to the unfolding crime.
- 👩 Mother
- 💬 Family
- TF
The fiancé (Giampiero Perone)
Played by Giampiero Perone
The man who accompanies Giulio's mother's fiancé arc and participates in family scenes around the crime's development.
- 💍 Fiancé
- 🧭 Family
- I(
Inspector (Edoardo Stoppa)
Played by Edoardo Stoppa
A police inspector who coordinates the investigation, leading to the chase and arrest of Federica.
- 👮 Investigation
- 🕵️♂️ Police
- I(
Inspector (Horacio José Grigaitis)
Played by Horacio José Grigaitis
Another inspector involved in the pursuit, reinforcing the procedural aspect of the case.
- 👮 Investigation
- 🕵️♂️ Police
- P(
Priest (Nicola Rondolino)
Played by Nicola Rondolino
A local priest who appears in a scene within the neighborhood, adding a moment of ordinary life amid the crime.
- 🙏 Priest
- 🕊️ Community
What Are the Themes of Do You Like Hitchcock??
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Obsession, Secrets and Violence.
-
01
Obsession
Giulio's fixation on Sasha drives the narrative, turning his thesis project into a dangerous game of surveillance and inference. He interprets ordinary encounters as clues and glimpses a parallel with Strangers on a Train. The line between researcher and stalker blurs as events spiral out of his control. His obsession pushes him to piece together motives from rumors and observations.
-
02
Secrets
Key moments hinge on hidden information: a bank statement suggesting vast wealth, a key left behind, and disguises that conceal true identities. Sasha's past and Federica's manipulation fuel a web of secrets that characters try to expose or exploit. The pursuit of truth collides with manipulation and blackmail. Secrets drive the plot more than straightforward evidence.
-
03
Violence
The story is punctuated by acts of violence: the intruder killing Sasha's mother with a brass pestle, a failed attempt on Giulio's life, and a final rooftop confrontation. Violence is depicted as a consequence of deceit and competition for power. The film uses these moments to reveal the characters' true intents. The arrest at the end reframes violence as a consequence of manipulation.
What Kind of Film Is Do You Like Hitchcock??
Tense in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A tense and voyeuristic psychological thriller that steadily builds suspense through the paranoid obsession of a film student, blurring the lines between reality and perception in a world of hidden motives and danger.
- suspenseful
- anxious
- voyeuristic
- paranoid
- cerebral
- claustrophobic
- murder investigation
- obsession
- voyeurism
- deception
Content notes: murder, sexual assault, voyeurism, suicide.
Quiz
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