The Embalmer is an Italian drama film directed by Matteo Garrone that was released in 2002. The main protagonist of the movie is Peppino (Ernesto Mahieux), a taxidermist who is obsessed with preserving animals to the point that he is willing to go to great lengths to do so. However, Peppino's life changes when he meets Valerio (Valerio Foglia Manzillo), a handsome young man who is fascinated by Peppino's work.
Peppino becomes enamored with Valerio and offers him a large salary to work as his assistant, which Valerio accepts because he is interested in learning the art of taxidermy. However, tensions start to rise between the two as their relationship becomes more complicated, and Valerio starts to feel suffocated by Peppino's possessive behavior.
Things take a turn for the worse when Valerio meets Deborah (Elisabetta Rocchetti), a beautiful and charming girl who Peppino also takes a liking to. As Valerio and Deborah start to grow closer, Peppino becomes insanely jealous, leading to a volatile and dangerous situation that could potentially ruin all their lives.
The Embalmer is a slow-paced, atmospheric film that delves into themes of obsession, jealousy, and manipulation. With beautiful cinematography and a haunting soundtrack, the movie explores the dark side of human nature and how it can drive people to do terrible things.