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Lisa and the Devil (1973) movie poster

Spoiler-Free Summary

Lisa and the Devil (1973) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
1973 · 95 mins · Italian
Directed by
Mario Bava
Starring
Telly Savalas, Alida Valli, Elke Sommer, Gabriele Tinti, Eduardo Fajardo, Sylva Koscina

Lisa, a lone traveler exploring an ancient city, becomes disoriented and seeks refuge in a decaying mansion. There she meets housekeeper Leandre, whose influence pulls her into a web of deception, decadence and supernatural terror as the mansion's dark past surfaces and reality blurs. The narrow corridors echo with whispers, amplifying her dread.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 What it is about
  2. 2 Is it worth watching?
  3. 3 After you watch
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Lisa and the Devil
  6. 6 Every angle

Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is Lisa and the Devil About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of Lisa and the Devil (1973) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

Lisa drifts through the winding streets of an ancient city, her curiosity guided by the faded frescoes and ghostly melodies that echo from hidden courtyards. When the labyrinth of alleys leaves her disoriented, she stumbles upon a crumbling mansion that seems to breathe with the weight of forgotten centuries. The house itself is a character—its decaying walls, narrow corridors, and whispering shadows hint at a history drenched in decadence and dread. From the moment she steps inside, the line between reality and the uncanny begins to blur, setting a tone of lingering suspense that permeates every footstep.

Within the mansion’s dimly lit halls, Leandre appears as the solitary housekeeper, his presence both comforting and unsettling. He moves with a quiet authority, his demeanor suggesting an intimate knowledge of the estate’s hidden layers. As Lisa settles into this temporary refuge, she becomes drawn into a subtle web of intrigue woven by the mansion’s lingering past. The atmosphere is thick with the scent of old stone and the faint, otherworldly strains of a music box—elements that heighten the feeling that something unseen watches from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

The world of the film pulses with a gothic elegance, where opulent decay coexists with an undercurrent of supernatural terror. The mansion’s rooms are adorned with relics that seem to echo previous lives, and the narrow passageways amplify whispered voices that stir unease. Lisa’s solitary journey, juxtaposed with the enigmatic influence of Leandre, creates a dynamic tension between curiosity and fear. As she navigates this eerie setting, the audience is invited to share her sense of wonder and apprehension, anticipating how far the mansion’s dark secrets will reach into the fragile fabric of her reality.

Last updated: December 04, 2025 at 23:00

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What to expect

Is Lisa and the Devil Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of Lisa and the Devil (1973) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen Lisa and the Devil? Now Read the Spoilers

Once you have watched Lisa and the Devil (1973), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning.

Movie threads

More Movies Like Lisa and the Devil, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Lisa and the Devil tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gothic horror movies in decaying mansions like Lisa and the Devil

Stories where decaying mansions trap characters in a web of supernatural terror. If you liked the gothic, claustrophobic setting of Lisa and the Devil, explore more movies like it. These films feature terrifying supernatural stories set in decaying estates, where dark family secrets and a haunted past create a nightmarish, dread-filled experience for the trapped protagonist.

  • gothic
  • claustrophobic
  • surreal
  • dread-filled
  • decadent
  • haunting
  • Tone: dark, eerie, surreal
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows an outsider drawn into an isolated, decaying mansion where they uncover a dark family legacy. Supernatural forces and psychological manipulation blur the line between reality and nightmare, often leading the protagonist to an inescapable, bleak fate dictated by the house's malevolent history.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared reliance on the gothic mansion as a primary antagonist, a pervasive atmosphere of decadent dread, and the fusion of supernatural horror with deep-seated psychological themes, creating a uniquely suffocating and surreal viewing experience.

Psychological horror movies with blurred reality like Lisa and the Devil

Psychological horror where perception fractures and reality becomes a trap. For viewers who enjoyed the mind-bending, surreal terror of Lisa and the Devil, this section finds similar movies. These complex horror stories focus on psychological torment, a blurred line between reality and nightmare, and often feature bleak, unsettling endings that leave the audience questioning what was real.

  • surreal
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • nightmarish
  • mind-bending
  • dread-filled
  • Tone: dark, unsettling, nightmarish
  • Pacing: steady, building tension
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories begin with a seemingly normal situation that gradually devolves into surreal chaos. The protagonist is subjected to psychological torment that fractures their perception, often through doppelgangers, recurring motifs, or a distorted sense of time. The plot is complex, demanding interpretation, and typically ends with the character trapped in their shattered psyche or a grim supernatural fate.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their core theme of psychological disintegration and blurred reality. They share a high-intensity, complex narrative structure, a dark tone, and a heavy emotional weight derived from the protagonist's complete loss of control and descent into a personalized hell.

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Every angle

Lisa and the Devil (1973) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Lisa and the Devil in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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