Synopsis
Martha Beck, an obese nurse who is desperately lonely, joins a "correspondence club" and finds a romantic pen pal in Ray Fernandez. Martha falls hard for Ray, and is intent on sticking with him even when she discovers he's a con man who seduces lonely single women, kills them and then takes their money. She poses as Ray's sister and joins Ray on a wild killing spree, fueled by her lingering concern that Ray will leave her for one of his marks.
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Cast
- Shirley StolerMartha
- Tony Lo BiancoRay
- Mary Jane HigbyJanet
- Doris RobertsBunny
- Kip McArdleDelphine
- Marilyn ChrisMyrtle
- Dortha DuckworthMother
- Barbara CasonEvelyn
- Ann HarrisDoris
- Mary BreenRainelle
Recommendations
- 100
Rolling Stone
An ugly masterpiece. - 90
Los Angeles Times
This pleasantly twisted low-life serenade harks back to several decades earlier, to the golden age of the B-picture and the moody fatalism of film noir. Harsh, gritty, unflinchingly intense and absolutely unforgettable, it’s as heartless as its protagonists, and that is saying quite a lot. - 88
Slant Magazine
The Honeymoon Killers is an intense, terrifying portrait of repression and instability. - 83
The A.V. Club
That nauseous mixture of laughs and shocks, and the fact that real passion drives Kastle's characters even when they plot against each other, is what makes The Honeymoon Killers such an enduring one-off. - 80
Chicago Reader
Leonard Kastle, a composer who turned filmmaker for this single feature, brings a spare dignity and genuine depth of characterization to his exploitation subject—the series of murders committed by Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck in the late 40s. - 80
The New York Times
Within the limits of its type it is one of the best and, curiously, most beautiful American movies in recent years. - 80
Variety
Made on a very low budget by a writer-director Leonard Kastle, The Honeymoon Killers, based on the Lonely Hearts murder case of the late 1940s, is made with care, authenticity and attention to detail. - 80
Empire
Shot in a grainy grey and white helps to give the film an amateurish and at the same time realistic feel, particularly as it's based on true events. With standout performances from Lo Bianco and Stoler, this is a forgotten gem that's waiting to be rediscovered.
