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

Please forgive me the rather goofy and bizarre user comment's subject line, as it's a reference towards the typically expressive and often overlong titles that were given to Italian so-called "giallo" movies during the '60s, '70s and early '80s. Due to its plot, character drawings and filming style, Ted Post's "Nightkill" frequently resembles the giallo prototype. Post's main role model and inspiration for this film was obviously Alfred Hitchcock, but more than half of the Italian gialli ever made were also inspired by the works of Hitchcock, so it's logical that I notice similarities everywhere! Short and simple: I liked "Nightkill"! It's a straightforward thriller that contains a few impressive shock- moments and plot twists that you honestly don't see coming. Throughout the largest part of the running time, you don't have the slightest clue of what's going on. On top of the unpredictability factor, there are a handful of genuinely suspenseful sequences (the body-dumping, the car chase between Katherine and an unknown assailant) as well as a thoroughly murky gloomy atmosphere and a downright fantastic damsel-in-distress performance by Jacklyn Smith. She depicts the unhappy wife of robust and arrogant Arizona business tycoon Wendell Atwell. Katherine wants a divorce so that she can start a new life with her lover (and Wendell's business partner) Steve Fulton, but he refuses. Without thinking it through, Steve poisons Wendell and they hide the body in the freezer. But then Steve himself vanishes mysteriously and later it's his murdered body that lies in the freezer! Meanwhile, the increasingly anxious Katherine receives several visits from her obtrusive lawyer Herbert and a cynical private detective named Donner. "Nightkill" is a recommended watch in case you're searching for a tense and compelling whodunit-thriller. Smith's performance perfectly captures the fear and solitude that her character goes through, while Robert Mitchum is given the opportunity again to play a mysterious character like he did in his old film-noir days. Worth mentioning as well: Sybil Danning never looked more beautiful than in this film!

The movie is appropriately named, "Nightkill", because it is so darkly filmed that the daylight scenes, which are not many, seem like night, and the nighttime scenes will literally leave you in the dark. Since the plot twists and turns, it would be nice to actually see what is going on. Basically, Jaclyn Smith is unwittingly drawn into a complex murder plot, involving her tyrant, millionaire husband, Mike Connors. Once her lover, James Franciscus, does the killing, nothing is explained, and the audience is left to blindly follow what is happening. Personally, I lost interest until the relentlessly downbeat ending. Despite the presence of Robert Mitchum, and some decent acting, technically the film is seriously flawed. - MERK

This is supposed to be Jaclyn Smith's first major feature after declining to star in the James Bond movie "Moonraker." But the film was largely unreleased in the cinemas. It did get a major cinema released though, internationally and created a following (at least, for people who loves this kind of genre).Inspite of some inept direction, (one example is when Smith is trying to explain to her friend, played by Sybil Danning, what happened the night before and why her friend's husband came to see Smith --the dubbing was so bad), this movie is one of my favourite thrillers of all time. The story is very original and will keep you guessing up to the last minute. Very satisfying and the performances are superb.Jaclyn Smith is absolutely gorgeous and delivers the best performance in this film. James Franciscus, who starred with Smith in JACQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY movie, is also marvelous in a very short memorable role. They both look great on screen and of course, veteran actor Robert Mitchum is at his best. Except for some "blah" performances of the supporting cast, the movie will keep you on your seat.The shower scene is probably the best thriller "shower" scene I've seen in the movies (well, of course, aside from Janet Leigh in "Psycho" )and it was executed excellently.I can't wait to see a re-make of this film, why?, because, this is what a thriller should be! Paging hollywood!!!!