The Antichrist

Ippolita remains paralyzed years after a car accident that killed her mother. Doctors diagnose the paralysis as psychosomatic rather than a physical injury, and she becomes increasingly dependent on her father. The fragile father-daughter dynamic grows tense when Massimo begins a relationship with Greta.

Seeking help, Ippolita visits her uncle, Vatican cardinal Ascanio. He admits there is little he can do and instead recommends a secular parapsychologist, Dr. Marcello Sinibaldi. This referral sets Ippolita on a path toward exploring ESP and past-life memories.

Dr. Sinibaldi determines that Ippolita has strong extrasensory perception and that her disorder stems from unconscious memories of past lives. He hypnotizes her to retrieve these memories, hoping to unlock the cause of her paralysis. The sessions reveal her namesake ancestor, a witch who was burned by the Inquisition.

The past-life memory triggers the witch's spirit, granting Ippolita the ability to walk again but provoking dissociative episodes. In one such episode, she seduces and murders a tourist, showing how the possession weaponizes her body. The line between healing and danger becomes dangerously blurred.

During a family dinner, Ippolita's possession becomes openly violent and telekinetically powerful. Family members witness things moving on their own as the demon asserts control from within her. The only sound that seems to calm her is the toll of church bells.

Dr. Sinibaldi dismisses the phenomenon as purely scientific, insisting there is no possession involved. Massimo insists there must be a supernatural explanation and searches for an alternative. Ascanio cautions that no action can be taken without approval from higher authorities in the Church.

Irene, the family maid, hires a local mystic to perform an exorcism at the house. Ippolita quickly exposes the man as a con artist and ejects him from her room. The failed attempt signals that more institutional help is needed.

Ascanio's own exorcism attempt also fails, with the demon rebuking the Cardinal for turning away when she sought help. The demon's power grows as the crisis deepens, forcing the family to confront the true nature of the danger. The religious and medical avenues collide.

The Vatican finally authorizes Father Mittner to carry out a formal exorcism. This formal intervention marks a transition from secular to sacred authority. Mittner is depicted as the reincarnation of the original executioner, underscoring the ominous stakes.

During the exorcism, the demon reveals that the unborn child within Ippolita would be Mittner's son, the Antichrist. The revelation raises the stakes beyond personal possession to a prophetic threat to humanity. The intensity of the confrontation crescendos.

Mittner's exorcism attempt culminates in a frantic chase as Ippolita flees the house with Massimo and her brother close behind. They pursue her toward the Colosseum, driven by fear and familial duty. The scene blends science, faith, and desperation as the exorcism reaches its final act.

At the Colosseum, the demon fights to resist the exorcism, but church bells ring, weakening the malevolent force. Massimo forces Ippolita's hands onto an iron cross and expels the demon and its unborn child from her body. The danger is finally defeated, and Ippolita regains her humanity.

With the demon banished and the child gone, Ippolita is restored to herself and helps her brother up. She walks away with her father as dawn breaks over Rome, suggesting a fragile rebuilding of their relationship. The family ends the nightmare with a cautious sense of hope.