Beyond the Darkness

The events unfold in a secluded villa on the outskirts of a South Tyrolean town, providing a remote, claustrophobic atmosphere. The villa houses a workshop and a furnace where gruesome acts take place, anchoring the film’s macabre mood. The surrounding town and hospital scenes contrast with the house’s dark interior, heightening the sense of isolation.

💀 Obsession

Obsessive desire drives the central relationships: Iris's bid for control and a life of luxury intertwined with Francesco, and Francesco's fixation on Anna after her death. The pursuit of possession leads to escalating violence and moral decay within the household. The characters’ fixation on another person or the act of controlling a body becomes the engine of the plot.

🩸 Body Horror

The film foregrounds graphic bodily transformations and dismemberment, turning the human body into a site of terror. Preservation, dissection, and the handling of corpses propel the narrative through shocking sequences. The gore is used to underscore the fragility of life and the limits of control.

👑 Power

Domestic space becomes a battleground for dominance, with Iris aiming to crown herself mistress of the house. Francesco wields control over relationships, secrets, and the family’s legacy, using fear and manipulation to maintain authority. The quest for power drives the couple’s ruthless actions.

⚰️ Death & Ritual

Death is both constant and ritualized: from the initial death of Anna to the exhumation and disposal of bodies, the characters perform grim rituals. The mortician and the act of burial, cremation, and bodily manipulation anchor the film’s morbid atmosphere. The ending circles back to the living’s attempt to bury the past, only for the nightmare to continue.