Death Smiles on a Murderer

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.