Nine Guests for a Crime

Nine Guests for a Crime

Year: 1977

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Ferdinando Baldi

CrimeMysteryThrillerHorror

Nine members of a wealthy, hostile family gather for a reunion on a remote secluded Mediterranean island. From the moment they arrive, long‑standing grudges, resentments and dark past deeds surface. Their boat is sabotaged, cutting off any link to the mainland, and as they become trapped, a killer among them ensures the old wounds never heal, with bodies beginning to accumulate, and the mystery deepens.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Nine Guests for a Crime (1977)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Nine Guests for a Crime (1977). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Small island, Luxury villa

The action unfolds on a secluded seafront island where a luxurious villa sits. The coastline offers beaches and hidden corners that the killer uses to entrap guests. The island’s isolation heightens tension as the group is cut off from rescue and forced to confront the truth behind Charlie's murder.

🏝️ Island 🏰 Villa 🗺️ Seaside

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:43

Main Characters – Nine Guests for a Crime (1977)

Meet the key characters of Nine Guests for a Crime (1977), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lorenzo (John Richardson)

Lorenzo is Ubaldo’s eldest son and a calculating presence in the family. He uses charm and manipulation to control outcomes and protect the family’s status, even as suspicion and greed drive him to drastic measures. His actions push the plot toward tragedy as loyalties unravel.

🧭 Family 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Michele (Massimo Foschi)

Michele is one of Ubaldo’s children and Carla’s husband. He is a conventional, protective figure within the group, but like his relatives he’s entangled in the villa’s web of secrets. His fate underscores the peril that paranoia brings to family life.

🧭 Family 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Patrizia (Loretta Persichetti)

Patrizia is Ubaldo’s daughter and wife to Walter. She participates in the family circle but is pulled into the deadly game as fear and greed take hold. Her presence heightens the tension among the guests until she becomes a casualty of the killer’s spree.

🧭 Family 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♀️ Suspense

Greta (Rita Silva)

Greta is Lorenzo’s wife, part of the inner circle on the island. She embodies the protective, anxious dynamics of the family unit and becomes another victim in the escalating series of murders.

🧭 Family 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♀️ Suspense

Carla (Sofia Dionisio)

Carla is Michele’s wife and secretly the killer’s daughter. She hides her true identity, using the tragedy to avenge her father and manipulate the group. Her dual role as wife and assassin drives the film’s major plot twist.

🗝️ Secrets 🗡️ Violence 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Walter (Venantino Venantini)

Walter is Patrizia’s husband and part of the host’s family circle. He participates in the dinner-table politics and the deadly games that unfold, mixing loyalty with self-preservation as the body count climbs.

🧭 Family 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Elisabetta (Dana Ghia)

Elisabetta is Ubaldo’s sister and a former lover of Charlie, deeply entangled in past secrets. She collaborates in the unraveling of the family’s web of lies, but ultimately falls victim to the very schemes she helped to set in motion.

🧭 Family 🔪 Betrayal 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Giulia (Caroline Laurence)

Giulia is Ubaldo’s young wife, introduced as part of the new generation in the family. Her presence adds a fresh vulnerability to the group as the killer’s plan unfolds, and she becomes one of the many victims of the island’s deadly game.

🏝️ Isolation 💥 Violence 🕵️‍♀️ Suspense

Uberto (Arthur Kennedy)

Uberto is the wealthy host who brings his family together for a seaside getaway. He orchestrates the island excursion, setting the stage for a deadly confrontation that exposes the darkest sides of each guest.

🏝️ Isolation 🗝️ Secrets 🕵️‍♂️ Suspense

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:43

Major Themes – Nine Guests for a Crime (1977)

Explore the central themes of Nine Guests for a Crime (1977), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗝️ Secrets

A web of long-buried pasts and hidden motives drives the drama. The reveal of Carla’s paternity—and Elisabetta’s involvement—unlocks a cascade of revelations that shatter the group’s trust. Family loyalties are tested as everyone’s past comes back to haunt them. The setting amplifies the sense that no one is who they seem.

🔪 Murder

A string of killings thins the numbers and fills the air with paranoia. Each death exposes new lies and shifts the balance of suspicion among the survivors. The killer exploits the guests' relations and secrets to stay one step ahead.

🏝️ Isolation

The island acts as a brutal backdrop where escape is impossible and every survivor could be the killer's next target. With the boat’s path blocked and help unreachable, tension escalates until the final confrontations. The setting makes every lie feel like a survival tactic.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:43

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Nine Guests for a Crime Summary

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Nine Guests for a Crime Summary

Nine Guests for a Crime Timeline

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Nine Guests for a Crime Timeline

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