Year: 1977
Runtime: 91 mins
Language: Italian
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
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.
Get a spoiler-free look at Nine Guests for a Crime (1977) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
A remote Mediterranean island, bathed in the relentless glare of sun‑scorched cliffs, becomes the stage for a family reunion that feels more like a summons to unfinished business. The invitation comes from the villa’s patriarch, Ubaldo, who has gathered his sprawling, wealth‑laden kin after two decades apart. From the moment the ferry slips onto the pebbled shore, the idyllic setting is undercut by an uneasy stillness, a sense that the island’s isolation is both sanctuary and trap. A sabotaged boat severs the last thread to the mainland, leaving the guests stranded with nothing but their shared history as company.
Among those gathered are Lorenzo, whose sharp mind masks a simmering resentment, and Michele, whose loyalty to his own ambitions often collides with family expectations. Patrizia arrives with a veneer of poise that barely contains long‑held grudges, while her spouse Greta brings a calculated calm that hints at hidden motives. Carla and Walter drift into the mix, each carrying the weight of secrets that have festered over years of privilege and rivalry. The late Charlie looms over the gathering, his death on the same beach twenty years earlier a silent accusation that still hangs in the salty air, while Elisabetta, Ubaldo’s sister and Charlie’s former lover, watches the reunion with an inscrutable blend of nostalgia and unease. Completing the tableau, Giulia, the young new wife, injects fresh tension into the already volatile dynamics.
The atmosphere thickens with every whispered argument and lingering glance, as old wounds resurface and unspoken betrayals surface like tide‑washed debris. The island’s rugged beauty becomes a claustrophobic backdrop against which alliances shift and suspicion tightens. In this charged environment, a sense of looming danger hangs over the villa, hinting that the past may finally claim its reckoning, and that among the gathered—bound by blood, marriage, and old promises—someone may act on the darkest of impulses.
Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 18:07
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
A group of suspects is isolated with a killer, forcing paranoia and suspicion.If you enjoyed the isolated setting and mounting paranoia of Nine Guests for a Crime, you'll find similar tension in these movies. This section features murder mysteries where characters are physically trapped, forcing a deadly game of suspicion and survival, much like classic whodunits and giallo thrillers.
The narrative typically begins with a group of people with shared history or conflicts being brought together in a confined space. An external event or act of sabotage cuts off escape, trapping them. The plot then unfolds as a series of murders, with each death raising the stakes and deepening the characters' paranoia, leading to a final confrontation and the revelation of the killer's motive, often rooted in a dark past.
Movies in this thread are grouped by their core setup: a closed-circle mystery. They share a high-intensity, tense tone driven by the immediate physical threat and the psychological dread of being confined with a hidden enemy. The fast pacing and straightforward 'whodunit' structure create a consistently suspenseful and engaging experience.
Dark secrets and long-held grudges lead to a family's violent destruction.For viewers who appreciated the dark family dynamics and vengeful plot of Nine Guests for a Crime, this section collects movies about family annihilation. These stories explore bitter resentments, betrayal, and secrets that erupt into brutal violence, delivering a heavy emotional weight and a ultimately bleak outlook.
The story revolves around a wealthy or powerful family with a history of wrongdoing. A reunion or gathering acts as a catalyst, bringing hidden hatreds and a specific past transgression to the surface. The plot is driven by a methodical act of revenge, often from an unexpected source within or connected to the family, leading to a series of murders that systematically dismantle the family unit, culminating in a fiery or otherwise catastrophic finale.
These films are united by their central theme of revenge against a corrupt family unit. They share a dark, brutal mood and a heavy emotional weight, dealing with themes of betrayal and long-buried trauma. The tone is consistently tense and oppressive, leading to an unambiguously bleak ending where the cycle of violence concludes with total devastation.
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Read a complete plot summary of Nine Guests for a Crime, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
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Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Nine Guests for a Crime: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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