Nothing Underneath (1985) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place across multiple locations: Yellowstone National Park serves as Bob Crane's home base in the United States, while Milan, Italy becomes the primary setting where the search for his missing sister unfolds. Lugano, Switzerland also enters the investigation when a key clue, a telegram, is traced there, showing the cross-border nature of the case.

• setting
• milan
• yellowstone
• locations
• italy

Milan serves as the glamorous but dangerous hub of the fashion world where Jessica works as a model. The city provides a glossy backdrop of fashion shows, private parties, and wealth that masks deadly motives. It is in Milan that the string of murders occurs, and the investigation reveals the dark underbelly hidden behind the couture and celebrity lifestyle.

• milan
• fashion
• modeling
• Italy
• setting

The movie explores three major themes: Obsession, as Bob's relentless pursuit to find Jessica turns into investigative obsession; Fashion World, showing how the glamour of the industry masks deadly motives and corruption; and Deception, with false leads, forged documents, and a staged death creating a web of lies that investigators must untangle.

• themes
• obsession
• fashion
• deception
• mystery

Bob Crane is a Yellowstone forest ranger who shares a psychic bond with his twin sister Jessica. When he senses she is in danger, he travels from his home in Yellowstone to Milan to find her. He is determined to locate Jessica despite skeptical authorities and becomes deeply involved in the investigation, evaluating suspects and pursuing leads at great personal risk.

• bob crane
• protagonist
• forest ranger
• twin sister

Barbara is a model at the same agency as Jessica who becomes entangled in the murders. She is the killer, using scissors as her weapon to murder multiple models. Her motive stems from jealousy and a desire to protect her own secrets. She later attacks Bob with an electric drill and is responsible for Jessica's death, ultimately committing suicide when confronted by investigators.

• barbara
• killer
• murderer
• scissors
• jealousy
• model

The fashion world is portrayed as a glamorous facade concealing corruption and danger. Wealthy designer Giorgio Zanoni uses money and diamonds to buy silence after a brutal incident. The murders among models reveal a lethal underbelly behind the couture and celebrity. The investigation exposes how appearances in the fashion circle hide deadly schemes and power abuses.

• fashion industry
• corruption
• models
• glamour
• designer

Bob shares a psychic link with his twin sister Jessica, which serves as the unique hook driving the narrative. When he senses she is in danger, this supernatural connection compels him to travel to Milan despite having no concrete evidence. This bond adds a layer of supernatural anxiety to the procedural crime elements and represents both his motivation and vulnerability throughout the investigation.

• psychic bond
• twin sister
• telepathy
• supernatural
• Jessica

Commissioner Danesi is a police commissioner near retirement who initially skeptical of Bob's claims about a psychic connection to his missing sister. However, he becomes a crucial ally as the case deepens, coordinating with local police and collaborating with an Interpol agent to pursue cross-border leads. His experience and authority help steer the investigation toward the truth amid mounting chaos.

• commissioner danesi
• police
• investigator
• donald pleasence

Deception drives the plot through handwriting forgeries and a misleading telegram used to mislead investigators. A false lead involving fashion designer Giorgio Zanoni redirects suspicion, and Barbara stages a death to conceal her crimes. The investigation must catch this web of lies before more lives are lost, with the truth finally emerging through careful unraveling of the deception.

• deception
• twist
• forgery
• telegram
• lies
• red herring

Barbara uses scissors as her murder weapon, which becomes a signature of the killings throughout the movie. The choice of this particular weapon ties to her role within the fashion industry, scissors are tools of the trade for a model working with designers and garments. This weapon choice underscores the deadly transformation of the fashion world's tools into instruments of murder.

• scissors
• weapon
• killer
• murder weapon
• fashion