美国作家彼得•尼尔(Anthony Franciosa 饰)善写恐怖惊悚小说,其作品风靡欧洲各国。不久前,意大利出版了他的最新作品——《坦妮布丽(Tenebre)》,很快他便收到一封来自罗马的信件。来信者称他从彼得的作品中得到灵感,并运用到杀人的实践中去。随后一名年轻漂亮的女子被人残忍杀害,其作案手法正与《坦妮布丽》中的杀人手法相同。 彼得立即联系罗马警方,两名得力警探(Giuliano Gemma & Carola Stagnaro 饰)随即受命调查此案。然而罪犯并未就此罢休,不断有年轻女性遇害。一时间人心惶惶,形势迫在眉睫……With Argento's trademark visual style, linked with one of his more coherent plots, Tenebrae follows a writer who arrives to Rome only to find somebody is using his novels as the inspiration (and, occasionally, the means) of committing murder. As the death toll mounts the police are ever baffled, and the writer becomes more closely linked to the case than is comfortable.