The Honeymoon Killers

"Love is a bitch...Called Martha."

1970 1h 48m EN

😐

6.5

MID

🔥

95%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 134🍅95%Rotten Tomatoes●82Metacritic★7IMDB · 5,996

CrimeDramaRomanceThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Love is a bitch...Called Martha.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shirley Stoler
Martha
Tony Lo Bianco
Ray
Mary Jane Higby
Janet
Doris Roberts
Bunny
Kip McArdle
Delphine
Marilyn Chris
Myrtle
Dortha Duckworth
Mother
Barbara Cason
Evelyn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leonard Kastle
Writers: Leonard Kastle
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leonard Kastle, shot by Oliver Wood. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Brophy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco and Mary Jane Higby carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Love is a bitch...Called Martha.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0064437 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leonard Kastle directs. Oliver Wood behind the camera. Richard Brophy cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

156 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Leonard Kastle, shot by Oliver Wood. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Richard Brophy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco and Mary Jane Higby carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Love is a bitch...Called Martha.".
6IMDB entry: tt0064437 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 11 themes, including "nurse", "widow", "alabama", "lonely hearts ad".

The technical file

Cinematography: Oliver Wood
Editing: Richard Brophy
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 82/100
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 5,996 votes
MPAA: R

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Community reviews

What people are saying

micar62024-09-15
★ 8/10
The "anti-Bonnie and Clyde," as described by the film's director Leonard Kastle. Who? Yeah, I never heard of him either. He made one movie and it's 1) a classic, 2) part of the Criterion Collection, and 3) one of François Truffaut's favorites. It was also a movie Martin Scorsese started to direct but was let go! So what is it? A low-budget, independent true crime story about a notorious team of con artists and killers. It has gorgeous black and white camerawork and excellent acting. It's creepy and original, and entirely gripping.

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