A young woman's inheritance leads her to a castle of secrets, where the living are scarce—and the undead are family.
A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD
Following the death of her father, a young girl visits her estranged family at their sinister castle in the countryside, and comes to realize her eccentric and morbid relatives are not quite alive.
Quick Answer
A Virgin Among the Living Dead is a 1973 Belgium, France, Italy, and Liechtenstein horror film directed by Jesús Franco about a young woman who visits her family's remote castle and discovers her eccentric relatives are not quite alive.
Programmer's Pick
Jesús Franco delivers gothic horror with an erotic edge: the undead aren’t just out to get you, they’re family—awkward. Expect bizarre relatives, boundary-pushing nudity, and surreal euro-horror dream logic, all wrapped in one castle-sized inheritance nightmare.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Jesús Franco
- Writers
- Jesús Franco, Paul D'Ales
- Release
- 1973
- Runtime
- 1h 19m
- Country
- Belgium, France, Italy, Liechtenstein
- Language
- French
- Genres
- Horror
- Also Known As
- Gli zombi cannibali, Une vierge chez les morts vivants, I desideri erotici di Christine, Christina, princesse de l'érotisme, Los sueños eróticos de Christina, La noche de las estrellas fugaces, Das Grauen von Schloss Montserrat, Девственница среди живых мертвецов, El infierno de los sentidos, Christina chez les morts vivants, Christina - Prinzessin der Lust, Mia parthena gia tous zontanous - nekrous, Una vergine tra i morti viventi, Dziewica wsród zywych trupów, Uma Virgem entre os Mortos-Vivos, Virgen entre los muertos vivientes, Una virgen en casa de los muertos vivientes, Zombie 4: A Virgin Among the Living Dead, Among the Living Dead, Eine Jungfrau in den Krallen von Zombies, Original title: La nuit des étoiles filantes
Why This Matters
Directed by Jesús Franco, this film is notable for its complex release history, with multiple theatrical versions featuring added erotic and zombie scenes, and for its production background involving international attributions and a company reportedly established as a tax shelter.
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
The film's setting in a remote Montserrat castle delivers an eerie, old-world vibe essential to classic European horror.
Blending gothic horror and sexploitation, this film is infamous for its unabashed nudity and erotic surrealism.
Christina's relatives are far from ordinary, offering a uniquely morbid twist on the family gathering trope.
Cult director Jesús Franco’s signature style mixes surreal horror with exploitation, making for a one-of-a-kind viewing.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Christina visits her family's castle
Undead relatives
Nightmares, danger, and morbid encounters
Montserrat countryside castle
Questions from the Vault
When was A Virgin Among the Living Dead released? +
A Virgin Among the Living Dead was released in 1973.
Who directed A Virgin Among the Living Dead? +
A Virgin Among the Living Dead was directed by Jesús Franco.
How long is A Virgin Among the Living Dead? +
A Virgin Among the Living Dead has a runtime of 79 minutes.
What genre is A Virgin Among the Living Dead? +
A Virgin Among the Living Dead is a horror film.
