Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Nightkill Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 18, 2017

Here’s one problem with “Nightkill”: the first character to die in the film is murdered during the day. It’s a small detail, for sure, but an important one that identifies the general lethargy of the event, which isn’t even titled correctly. It’s meant to be a sinister thriller, a Hitchcockian endeavor with Euro chiller interests, also presenting Jaclyn Smith with a starring role that begins to inch the actress away from her “Charlie’s Angels” television success. And yet, while the story details murder, betrayal, and deception, large chunks of the movie are simply devoted to Smith acting agitated and teary, groaning as her character struggles to figure out an impossible situation of guilt and homicide. “Nightkill” is quite dull and somewhat unsatisfying, with director Ted Post fumbling a growing sense of suspense, content to portion out shocks in brief reveals, which does nothing to build the effort’s fright factor.

Katherine Atwell (Jaclyn Smith) is married to corrupt businessman Wendell (Mike Connors), counting down the days until he agrees to a divorce. With her money tied up in his shady dealings, including biological weapons testing, Katherine suffers, but not alone, enjoying a secret affair with Steve (James Franciscus), Wendell’s assistant. Taking matters into his own hands, Steve manages to poison Wendell, assuming his identity while a briefcase filled with money remains in an airport locker, hoping to scheme his way into a small fortune with his lover. However, the plan doesn’t go as expected, with Katherine forced to pick up the pieces, subjected to the strange ways of Detective Donner (Robert Mitchum), who’s looking for clues concerning Wendell’s whereabouts, only to find hesitation from Katherine, which forces him to apply special pressure on the suspect, keeping her on edge as she struggles with her safety and sanity.

“Nightkill” almost plays like a melodrama, depicting an antagonistic marriage between Katherine and Wendell, who’s a man of simple tastes, including humiliating others and riling up pet monkeys kept in his living room. He’s a monster, and one marked for death, commencing a tale of stolen identities, with Steve assuming control of Wendell’s schedule, trying to keep the man alive on paper to buy some time and execute the perfect crime. As these things tend to go, mistakes are made and reality is blurred, with Katherine soon transformed into a target, dealing with Steve’s mess and the arrival of Donner, who seems pretty confident that she killed her husband, but takes the long route to a confession, maintaining a pestering presence in her life while she scrambles to make sense of the details. “Nightkill” doesn’t tighten the noose on Katherine, it just keeps her in a gelatinous state of despair, with Smith’s entire performance consisting of variations on distressed reactions to strange events, keeping the endeavor surprisingly one-note as Post struggles to fill 90 minutes without stronger offerings of tension. Most of the effort is simply procedural, and while the intent appears to be a type of “Psycho”-style offering of twisted behavior and mind games, overall pace is glacial, with shocking discoveries few and far between.

Nightkill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Though listed as "Newly mastered in HD," it's a bit of a struggle to get excited about the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Age is apparent throughout, with natural, vibrant colors struggling to come through what occasionally looks like a slightly sepia palette, with powerful primaries lost. More potent hues arrive with period costuming and decoration inside the Atwell household, and skintones are largely drained of natural appeal. Detail isn't strong, searching for the nuances of skin textures and southwestern outfits. Softness remains and contrast issues arrive periodically. Delineation has issues, with solidification common, hurting frame information. Source isn't riddled with damage, but speckling and mild scratches remain.

Nightkill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the visual experience, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has issues with age, with hiss common throughout the listening event, along with periodic stretches of pops. Sharpness isn't available to the track, which delivers a muddier sound that challenges dialogue exchanges. Scoring cues are understood, but never defined to satisfaction. Sound effects are on the harsh side.

Nightkill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Howard S. Berger and Nathanial Thompson.

• Interview (13:42, HD) with star Jaclyn Smith discusses her interest at the time to move past her work on "Charlie's Angels," trying to find thespian challenges and battle typecasting. Smith discusses her technique and her time with director Ted Post, admiring his talents and personality. She explores the temperaments of her co-stars, remaining in awe of Robert Mitchum. Falling in love with Arizona during the shoot, Smith mentions an unfulfilled desire to live there, but less patience is shared for her full-body make-up, which provided a test of endurance she wasn't prepared for. Finally, Smith shares her thoughts on experience and the poor handling of "Nightkill" when it was completed.

• And a T.V. Spot (:22, SD) is included.

Nightkill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There should be more to "Nightkill," which has the expanse of Phoenix in the late 1970s to work with and a game star in Smith, who truly invests in Katherine's unraveling. The supporting cast is lively as well, finding Connors interestingly appalling as Wendell, understanding the production's need for a spark of life in the midst of sluggishness. Mitchum is reliable, but he's clearly taking this one for the paycheck, offering basic meatiness and threat, which Post is happy to work with. Also interesting are giallo-esque curves to the production, which teases some fascinating offerings of black-gloved threat, only to abruptly return to Smith crying, as though Post is trying to fill some type of emotional breakdown quota. There's not enough strangeness to "Nightkill" to keep it afloat, thought the ending deserves credit for its interest in the celebration of evil, offering the only identifiable risk Post is comfortable including. Surely there's a better film to be made with these basic ingredients (even Sybil Danning, who's impossible to miss, has nothing to do here), but the production doesn't try hard enough to disturb expectations or deliver a tighter dramatic feel.