Homicidal
A woman named Emily checks into a hotel and offers the bellboy $2000 to temporarily marry her. We soon find out Emily is the caretaker of a wheelchair-bound mute named Helga, who was the childhood guardian of a pair of siblings: Miriam Webster and her half-brother, Warren, who is about to inherit the estate of their late father. Who is the mysterious Emily and what are her intentions?
Insights
Plot Summary
A mysterious woman is hired to deliver a sealed package to a specific hotel. Upon arrival, she discovers the package contains a gun, and she is immediately implicated in a murder that occurred moments before. As the police investigate, the woman's past and true identity become entangled in a web of deceit and danger.
Critical Reception
William Castle's 'Homicidal' is a low-budget psychological thriller known for its suspenseful atmosphere and shocking twist ending. While not as iconic as some of his other works, it is often praised for its effective B-movie horror elements and Castle's signature showmanship. Critics and audiences at the time were divided, with some finding it gratuitously sensationalist and others appreciating its suspenseful build-up and memorable climax.
What Reviewers Say
- Praised for its suspenseful pacing and effective atmosphere.
- Criticized by some for its sensationalism and reliance on a shocking twist.
- Noted as a prime example of William Castle's B-movie horror style.
Google audience: Audience reception is not widely documented on Google, but general consensus points to it being a noteworthy, if somewhat dated, horror film from the early 1960s, appreciated for its suspense and twist.
Fun Fact
William Castle employed a unique marketing tactic for 'Homicidal,' offering a 'Coward's Corner' with a money-back guarantee for patrons too frightened to stay until the end. He also had ambulances on standby outside theaters, staffed with nurses, to "assist" any viewers who fainted.
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