Nightkill (1980)

the audience applauded

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I love a film noir and this for the bill, I also love how all synopses I read before watching kept me guessing about who the villain might be! What I thought would be a Femme Fatale flick turned out to be a Damsel in Distress that kept me glued despite some wtf moments. In the scope of an 80s flick I wish I could give this a 9 or 10 but the ending made me wish for another film, or at least another 20 mins

This movie was supposed to be one of Jaclyn Smith's first major feature films of the 1980's. But due to some problems, it was largely unreleased in theaters and ended up on television. Good for us movie buffs because this film is probably one of the best that I have seen and one of the most satisfying thrillers in years. It doesn't have the same style of the slasher/screamer films of 1980's but what it offers is a lot better. The last half hour is a real nail biter especially the shower scene. Robert Mitchum's performance is top notch and actress Jaclyn Smith is terrific. I think this is one of her best performances. Her on-screen chemistry with actor James Franciscus is just great. Miss Smith also appears in a beautiful backless gown that will knock your eyes out. That, too, is entertainment.

I was surprised at how nail-biting this movie was, not only at the somewhat unusual plot, but by the dark and brooding performance by Robert Mitchum. Nightkill is a reasonable enough thriller with good twists and turns throughout, and an equally strong conclusion.Jaclyn Smith gives out a not-too-bad performance as Katherine Atwell, but in my eyes I felt as if she was trying a little too hard in some places. Mike Connors though portrays his cold and callous character of Wendel to good effect. You actually despise Wendel! In no doubt, however, it's Mitchum who steals the show; what a twist toward the end! Nice background music too: the score actually tells the story in some parts - very ominous.In a nutshell, Nightkill is a relatively suspenseful film, but what lets it down is the somewhat inept direction and weak dialogue in certain places. 7/10

I disagree that this is bad cinema. Surely it is not great cinema. But the performances are quite good and it has a good ending. I got my copy from an on-line auction, as its a very rare film and didn't get much showing at theatres. If you like dark mysteries and Robert Mitchum, and if you can find it, give it a try.