The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972) Plot Summary Explained

The Red Queen is a family legend dating back centuries. According to the myth, a red-cloaked spirit rises every hundred years to kill seven people. The painting in the family estate serves as a warning of this cycle. While the murders appear to be connected to this curse, the actual killer uses the legend as cover for her own scheme. The curse is ultimately revealed to be a red herring, though the supernatural atmosphere it creates drives much of the film's tension.

Foreshadowing: The painting is shown early in the film as a ominous family heirloom that concerns the characters.

• red queen curse
• mythology
• family legend
• painting
• seven kills

Evelyn was not killed by Kitty during their fight as everyone believes. In reality, Franziska, the older cousin, murdered Evelyn at the outset of the film to secure Tobias' fortune for herself. When Kitty and Evelyn fought, Kitty only stunned Evelyn, leaving her unconscious. Franziska then took advantage of the chaos to kill Evelyn and frame Kitty for the death, using it as leverage to maintain her position in the family.

Foreshadowing: Franziska quickly offers to cover up the death and insists on telling Tobias that Evelyn emigrated to the United States.

• evelyn death
• franziska
• killer
• murder
• cover-up

Evelyn was adopted by Tobias as part of his plan to break the Red Queen curse. The adoption was kept secret, leading everyone, including Kitty, to believe the sisters were biologically related. This revelation reframes the entire relationship between the sisters and explains why Tobias may have chosen Evelyn specifically for his scheme. It also means Kitty's guilt over killing her 'sister' was based on a misunderstanding.

Foreshadowing: Tobias removes the painting hoping to end the cycle, suggesting he was actively trying to prevent the curse through various means.

• evelyn adoption
• tobias
• adopted daughter
• secret
• family secret

Franziska is the true killer. She murdered Evelyn at the beginning to become the sole heir to Tobias' fortune, resentful that she wasn't the main beneficiary. She then recruited some of Kitty's dissatisfied co-workers to carry out additional murders, dressing them in red cloaks to mimic the Red Queen legend and frame the killings as supernatural occurrences. Her goal was to eliminate anyone who might threaten her inheritance while using the curse as cover.

Foreshadowing: Franziska immediately suggests covering up Evelyn's death and maintaining the lie about emigration.

• franziska killer
• true killer
• motive
• greed
• heir

Franziska frames Rosemary by dressing her murdered body in red queen attire to throw off police investigation. By making it appear that the Red Queen killings were the work of a single individual who had been caught and killed, Franziska hoped to end the murders and avoid suspicion falling on herself. This elaborate ploy demonstrates how she manipulated the legend to serve her own purposes while eliminating her female accomplices who knew too much.

Foreshadowing: Franziska's female co-conspirators begin disappearing before Rosemary is framed.

• rosemary framing
• red queen costume
• frame
• accomplices

Martin's wife, who was institutionalized in a mental hospital, is found dead. The police initially suspect Kitty of orchestrating this murder along with the other Red Queen killings, creating additional suspicion around her. This death, combined with the other murders, makes Kitty appear guilty in the eyes of investigators. The actual circumstances of her death are tied to Franziska's overall scheme.

Foreshadowing: The police show increased interest in Martin and Kitty's relationship after the wife's death.

• martin wife
• institutionalized
• death
• police suspicion

Franziska lures Kitty into the mansion basement with the intent to drown her by flooding the space. This climax occurs after Franziska's scheme has unraveled and she needs to eliminate Kitty. The flooding creates a life-or-death struggle where Kitty must fight for survival. The scene represents Franziska's final attempt to silence anyone who could expose her crimes.

Foreshadowing: Franziska's increasingly desperate actions suggest she will take extreme measures to protect her secret.

• basement flood
• drowning
• climax
• franziska trap

After Herbert shoots Franziska, she stabs Martin with a hidden dagger before dying. Herbert then leads police to Kitty's location, saving her from drowning, but drowns himself in the process. Both Kitty and Martin are rescued and rushed to the hospital where their fates remain uncertain, they survive but their conditions are grave. The film ends with the mystery of the curse resolved but the future of the protagonists unclear.

Foreshadowing: The tension in the basement reaches its peak as Kitty fights for survival against Franziska.

• ending
• hospital
• kitty
• martin
• survival
• critical condition

The Red Queen curse is ultimately revealed to be a false trail. While the film presents the legend as a supernatural threat throughout, the murders are committed by Franziska using the curse as cover. There is no actual supernatural entity; the red-cloaked figures are either Franziska's accomplices or people she has manipulated. The curse serves as a red herring in this whodunit structure.

Foreshadowing: The painting is removed early on, suggesting the curse can be circumvented through mundane actions.

• curse real
• supernatural
• legend
• red herring
• hoax