The Killer Is Still Among Us (1986) Plot Summary Explained

Cristiana begins suspecting Alex primarily because of his suspicious timing. She had told Alex about her plans to meet the bartender for information, and shortly after, the bartender is found hanged. Additionally, Alex has unexplained absences during the periods when the murders occur, and his profession as a forensic pathologist would give him knowledge of murder methods and access to crime scenes.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Alex expresses wariness about Cristiana's investigation, which later reads as guilt or concern about being discovered.

• Alex suspect Cristiana Il Mostro boyfriend serial killer

The bartender who offered to share information with Cristiana about the murders is found hanged in a local bar. His death serves as a chilling reminder that the killer's reach extends into ordinary places and that sharing information about Il Mostro is dangerous. This event also intensifies Cristiana's suspicion of Alex since she had told him about her plans to meet the bartender.

• bartender death hanged Il Mostro Cristiana investigation

During the séance, the medium has a psychic vision of Il Mostro killing and mutilating another couple during a camping trip. The vision shows the male victim's throat being slashed, which mirrors the killer's signature method. This vision disturbs the medium herself, as the wounds she sees appear on her own body during the vision, connecting her spiritually to the crimes.

• séance medium vision Il Mostro camping murder

The title card "The killer is still among us" appears on screen during the Hitchcock film that Alex is watching when Cristiana returns to confront him. This creates a devastating moment of ambiguity - it could refer to the literal killer being present in the theater, or it could be a meta-commentary suggesting the killer might actually be Alex sitting beside her. The film never resolves this, leaving the audience in permanent doubt.

• killer still among us title card ending twist theater

Cristiana never goes to the police with her suspicions about Alex for several reasons: she has no concrete evidence, only circumstantial timing and his profession; the police have already been investigating Il Mostro for weeks without catching him; Alex is a respected doctor and forensic pathologist with connections; and the warning message at the end suggests the police were already aware the killer could be anyone, making her fear of false accusation justified.

• police Cristiana suspicion Alex accusation evidence

Il Mostro targets couples at secluded lover's lanes and remote areas, attacking them with a firearm first, then using a knife and tree branches to mutilate the female victim. The killer's signature includes slashing the male victim's throat, as seen in the médium's vision. The murders are particularly brutal and sexual in nature, which is why they generate such fear and fascination in the criminology community.

• Il Mostro killing method signature couples lover's lane mutilation

Cristiana's drive to continue stems from a combination of academic determination and personal conviction. As a criminology student working on her thesis, she becomes obsessed with understanding the pattern and psychology behind the killings. Additionally, the stalking and threatening calls suggest she is getting close to something real, which only strengthens her resolve. Her psychology suggests she cannot stop once she has started down a path of suspicion.

• Cristiana investigation stalker danger thesis criminology

Cristiana's suspicion builds gradually through circumstantial evidence: Alex's unexplained absences align with murder timelines; she told him about her meeting with the bartender who is then killed; the killer seems to know her movements; and his forensic pathology expertise would explain the killer's surgical methods. The accumulation of these details, combined with the psychological toll of being stalked, creates a dangerous hypothesis she cannot shake.

• suspicion paranoia Alex forensic pathologist timeline absences

No, the film never confirms whether Alex is Il Mostro. The ending is deliberately ambiguous - Cristiana rushes to the theater where she finds Alex watching a film peacefully, but as she approaches, an unseen figure slips into the row across from her. The title card "The killer is still among us" appears, leaving the question unanswered. The lack of resolution is intentional, maintaining the paranoia and tension that define the film's message.

• Alex killer ending twist ambiguous resolution Il Mostro identity

The closing message states the film was made as a warning to young people and to aid real police work in catching murderers. This frames the entire narrative as a cautionary tale about vigilance against violence. It reinforces the film's serious intent - not merely entertainment but a public service announcement about the danger of serial killers potentially living among ordinary people, tying directly to the ambiguous ending that leaves the killer's identity unresolved.

• ending warning message purpose young people police vigilance