"Nightkill" follows Kathy Atwell, the wife of a powerful Phoenix tycoon whose lover executes a plot to off her husband. Her lover's plan for the couple to abscond with the dead husband's money does not go remotely as planned.
This German-funded 1980 feature film effort from Ted Post was a vehicle for "Charlie's Angels" star Jaclyn Smith, and was intended for theatrical release by Avco Embassy Pictures, but instead got dumped on television in the United States. While it at times has the temperament of a made-for-TV thriller, by and large it is a much glossier-looking effort, boasting high production values and a shifty screenplay that takes a number of cues from "Diabolique" (1955).
While the plot is certainly not innovative, "Nightkill" is an entertaining noir-ish psychological thriller that boasts a number of crafty plot twists and a reasonable amount of suspense. Shot in Phoenix, Arizona, it also serves as a nostalgic time capsule of late-'70s desert chic style, largely set in a spacious hilltop house replete with gaudy interiors that give it a unique stylistic flair.
There are some exceptional sequences in it, namely a nighttime car chase as Smith's character flees the airport with an assailant pursuing her in her husband's Rolls-Royce, as well as a shadowy scare sequence in the house near the film's conclusion. Smith gives a sturdy dramatic performance here, while Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum co-stars as a detective who continually resurfaces to question her.
While the film never seems to reach the fever pitch that one may anticipate (its conclusion is notably a bit too abrupt, perhaps the film's biggest fault), it is still a minor but well-made curio that manages to keep the audience on their toes despite a plot setup that is far from unique. All in all, it stands as an entertaining and aptly-made thriller from a bygone era. 8/10.
This German-funded 1980 feature film effort from Ted Post was a vehicle for "Charlie's Angels" star Jaclyn Smith, and was intended for theatrical release by Avco Embassy Pictures, but instead got dumped on television in the United States. While it at times has the temperament of a made-for-TV thriller, by and large it is a much glossier-looking effort, boasting high production values and a shifty screenplay that takes a number of cues from "Diabolique" (1955).
While the plot is certainly not innovative, "Nightkill" is an entertaining noir-ish psychological thriller that boasts a number of crafty plot twists and a reasonable amount of suspense. Shot in Phoenix, Arizona, it also serves as a nostalgic time capsule of late-'70s desert chic style, largely set in a spacious hilltop house replete with gaudy interiors that give it a unique stylistic flair.
There are some exceptional sequences in it, namely a nighttime car chase as Smith's character flees the airport with an assailant pursuing her in her husband's Rolls-Royce, as well as a shadowy scare sequence in the house near the film's conclusion. Smith gives a sturdy dramatic performance here, while Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum co-stars as a detective who continually resurfaces to question her.
While the film never seems to reach the fever pitch that one may anticipate (its conclusion is notably a bit too abrupt, perhaps the film's biggest fault), it is still a minor but well-made curio that manages to keep the audience on their toes despite a plot setup that is far from unique. All in all, it stands as an entertaining and aptly-made thriller from a bygone era. 8/10.