The Embalmer

Peppino is a taxidermist of short stature and an unpleasant appearance who is frequently mocked by others. He meets Valerio, a handsome young man who is interested in the craft of taxidermy. Peppino becomes enamored with Valerio and hires him as an assistant, offering a high salary. As a friendship develops, Peppino's feelings grow into an intense infatuation. The situation becomes strained when Valerio begins a romantic relationship with a woman named Deborah, triggering a wave of extreme jealousy in Peppino.

This drama and romance is a co-production between Belgium, Italy, and France, produced by Domenico Procacci. It marks the first film directed by Matteo Garrone. The movie stars Ernesto Mahieux as Peppino Profeta, Valerio Foglia Manzillo as Valerio, and Elisabetta Rocchetti as Deborah. The screenplay was written by Matteo Garrone along with Massimo Gaudioso and Ugo Chiti.

The film is generally well-received by audiences, holding a 7/10 rating on IMDb from 3,200 votes and a 7.2/10 on TMDB based on 259 votes. These viewer scores are slightly higher than the film critics' rating, which stands at 6.7/10 from 32 reviews.