“The Hooneymoon Killers” was officially released in 1970. (same year Christopher Nolan was born) It received positive reviews from critics and made money at the box office. The Criterion Collection digitally restored the film on DVD/Blu-Ray as spine number 200. First time I ever heard of The Honeymoon Killers, was a video YouTube video of John Waters paying a visit to Criterion’s closet grabbing a few films he admires including “The Blob,” “8 1/2,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and of course, the aforementioned film.
Before “Joker: Foile à Deux” comes out in 2024, I wanna share my thoughts on The Honeymoon Killers to see if it holds up. Which films in The Criterion Collection should I review next? Please leave a comment and I’ll respond back.
Keep in mind, this is a short review. It’s not a fully complex real life crime-drama. Just a short film. Does The Honeymoon Killers hold up? Let’s find out shall we?
Clean & Dirty Qualities
Clean: Shirley Stoler & Tony Lo Bianca both did an excellent job for their respective performances.
Leonard Kastle did a decent job directing his only film. Plus, he wrote the script. Had Leonard stayed in show biz longer, he would’ve made more great films.
Fun Fact: Martin Scorsese was approached to direct, but dropped out over creative differences. He finally got his big break in “Mean Streets.”
Cinematography didn’t succumb to technical problems throughout.
Pacing didn’t take forever getting in. I was hooked since the beginning.
Doris Roberts appears as Marta’s friend.
Based on a true story. In the early ‘50s, Martha & Ray fall in love posing as con artists going on a murder spree to obtain money posing as brother and sister. The latter tricks a woman to marry him and then kill her. The Prologue opens with a disclaimer as proof the events happened.
Chemistry between Martha & Ray serves as the main highlight. Their twisted relationship shapes the story forward.
In the Epilogue, a text reveals the couple’s demise.
Dirty: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving the Cast and Crew an Extra Point for making a flawless film as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
From my point of view, The Honeymoon Killers still holds up. If you’re a Criterion enthusiast, buy it on DVD/Blu-Ray.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 