Security (2021)

In Forte dei Marmi, a small, quiet town, everyone knows one another. News of the attempted rape of young Maria Spezi brings unexpected secrets and fears to light, disrupting the lives of the townspeople and changing them forever. Despite her father Walter’s confession—a drifter with several prior convictions—the girl gives a different account, saying she was assaulted by a boy she cannot remember at the villa of Curzio Pilati, a wealthy businessman backing Claudia Raffaelli’s mayoral candidacy. Claudia is the wife of Roberto Santini, a private security agent. Colonel Mori initially dismisses the case as an ordinary family quarrel, but Santini sees things differently and begins investigating on his own using the town’s video surveillance system. He suspects Dario, the son of his lover Elena, may also be involved. Mori questions Maria again, as well as Professor Tommasi, Pilati’s ghostwriter, who is secretly involved with Santini’s daughter. Tommasi says he left before the incident, and the businessman himself tells Claudia he knows nothing about it, shifting the blame onto Dario, the caretaker of his villa. Santini tries to corner Tommasi, but leaves after being struck on the head with an object. During questioning, Dario says he had sex with several girls at Pilati’s house, where Pilati paid him only to watch. On the night in question, however, Maria was too drunk; Dario did not feel able to force himself on her, and Pilati flew into a rage and attacked her after she had fallen asleep. The businessman denies everything and, speaking to Maria’s father, blames Dario before leaving town. Walter then tries to attack the young man, but Santini stops him. When the Carabinieri arrive, Walter pulls out a knife and is killed. Santini finds the recordings from the cameras inside Pilati’s villa and realizes that the man made Maria fall asleep before attacking her. Finally, the agent disables the town’s video surveillance system, making the footage from that night public.