Autopsy (1975) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

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.