Strangler vs Strangler

Belgrade in the mid-1980s is unsettled by the emergence of a serial killer, Pera Mitić, a carnations seller living with his aging mother. His mother’s punishments for not selling carnations fuel an abnormal dynamic that foreshadows violence. The killer's motive begins to take shape as the pattern of targeting girls who refuse to buy flowers appears.

Overweight 48-year-old Pera Mitić lives with his aging mother, a relationship filled with Oedipal overtones. His mother punishes him for not selling carnations, forcing him to kneel on nutshells, slaps, or locking him in a water tank. These abusive episodes help seed his later murderous compulsions.

During a failed sale, a girl refuses to buy his carnations, triggering Mitić’s first murder. It marks the emergence of a methodical killer who targets young women in Belgrade. The crime mirrors the control and punishment he endures at home.

Inspector Ognjen Strahinjić, a loner with a cat named George, begins investigating the new serial killer. He is short with a mustache and has an offbeat, methodical approach to the case. The investigation quickly takes on a life of its own as the pressure mounts.

To catch the killer, Strahinjić assigns undercover agent Rodoljub Jovanović to mingle with the public and uncover clues. The covert operation is meant to reveal the killer’s identity without tipping him off. The city watches, waiting for a break in the case.

The undercover plan ends in tragedy when Rodoljub Jovanović is killed. Strahinjić’s attempt to outsmart the killer collapses in violence. The city’s fear about the killer grows as the body count rises.

Spiridon Kopicl, a rock star obsessed with the killer, forms VIS Simboli and records the song Bejbi, bejbi dedicated to the murderer. The track becomes a nationwide hit, fueling a cultural fixation with the crimes. The song’s popularity brings the killer’s name into every home.

Mitić becomes enthralled by the Bejbi, bejbi song and is even moved to strangle his own mother to hear it on television. The killer’s life blurs with the anthem that praises him, fueling his desire to capture more victims. The line between fan and perpetrator grows increasingly thin.

As Mitić’s victims multiply, Spiridon Kopicl shifts his obsession to Sofija, a host of a popular musical show on the radio. The pursuit of Sofija intertwines with his career, pushing the plot toward a fatal confrontation. The public’s fascination with Sofija’s show raises the stakes.

During an attempted strangulation, Sofija fights back and bites Mitić’s ear in self-defense. After the incident, Kopicl is celebrated as a savior and marries Sofija, cementing a dangerous triangle between the killer, the radio star, and the public myth.

Following the incident, Kopicl is credited as a savior and marries Sofija. The wedding marks a bizarre alliance between the killer's obsession and the star's rising status. The press and public fiction around Sofija intensifies the dramatic tension.

On their honeymoon, the obsession reaches its apex as Kopicl strangles Sofija in the room while Mitić, dressed as his mother, watches. The murder ripples through the public narrative and cements the crimes within the myth surrounding Sofija and the killer.

Mitić, having observed the fatal act, confronts the reality of his crimes as Kopicl chases him to an abandoned building. After a struggle, Kopicl hangs Mitić, who had bitten his ear, ending the killer's spree. The death closes the chain of violent acts once and for all.

In the aftermath, all crimes—including Sofija’s death—are officially credited to the late Mitić. Kopicl, whose ear was bitten earlier, hears a melody that inspires him to compose a symphony about the crime. Following the death of his father, he marries his attractive stepmother, sealing a peculiar final note to the story.