Killjoy

Killjoy (TV movie 1981) 8 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:47 min

BASIC PLOT: Joy Morgan has gone missing. Is she dead? Did she go on a trip? Who knows the truth? Is it Dr. Paul Trenton (John Rubinstein), who has a key to her house? Could it be Dr. Martha Trenton (Nancy Marchand), Paul's obsessive mother, who will do anything to control his life? Is it Laury Medford (Kim Basinger), who's new fiancé, Dr. Max Heller (Stephen Macht) might have had an affair with Joy? Could it even be Rosie, the bartender at 'Post-op', the local doctor's bar? Rosie seems a bit too interested in the goings on at the hospital, and in the doctor's lives. Or finally, could it be Lou Corbin (Robert Culp), the strange man who seems obsessed with Joy, and who continuously shows up where he's not wanted?

WHAT WORKS: *SOAP OPERA-Y BUT IN A GOOD WAY The name of the hospital they all work in is 'City General Hospital', and of course the bar they all frequent, 'Post-Op', has a bartender, Rosie (very well played by Ann Wedgeworth) who's addicted to a soap very much like "General Hospital". The plotlines are soap opera-esque, but in an engaging, entertaining way, not in a ridiculous, oh brother way.

*THE ACTING IS WAY ABOVE AVERAGE For a TV movie, this is stellar. I know in 1981, we took our jobs more seriously, and greed hadn't yet taken over the entertainment industry completely, but even with all that said, it's still a cut above the norm for that era.

*PERFECTLY CAST Kim Basinger and John Rubinstein are perfectly cast as Laury Medford and Dr. Paul Trenton, the rich, spoiled kids, grown into entitled adults. Stephen Macht is excellent as Dr. Max Heller, a doctor who put himself through med school, working on the docks. He looks more like a boxer, than a doctor. The actors are all visual metaphors to their characters, and it really works.

*GOOD HIDDEN VISUAL CLUES If you look, there are visual clues that tell the story. I can't say more without it being a spoiler, but keep your eyes open for the little things. This movie makes good use of them.

*LOTS OF SUSPECTS, NO ANSWERS Literally everybody could be a suspect, even the ancillary characters, and that's a good thing. I also did not know who the killer was until the reveal, and I usually have these types of movies figured out in the first twenty minutes. Excellent.

*VERY WELL SHOT The setups and blocking are very well done. It's a "Joy" to watch.

*COOL CARS There are some awesome cars in this movie - a 'Vette and a Ferrari.

*KIM BASINGER goes braless throughout the whole movie, enough said.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *I TRIED HARD TO THINK OF SOMETHING, BUT EVERYTHING WORKS

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would definitely recommend this movie to mystery fans. It's a mix of an old school Agatha Christie, (with Robert Culp playing Poirot) and a good night time soap's cliffhanger. Either way, a highly enjoyable ride.

CLOSING NOTES: *THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.

This is a neat little film, that should satisfy fans of suspense/mystery/whodoneit genre. Since this is a 1981, made for TV film, the gore, harsh language and violence that are the staple of many newer films, are not present here. <p> Therefore, the writing, plot twists and acting move this film along. I was guessing up until the final scene. I would consider this film to be a "must see" for fans of the TV series, The Sopranos. Shades of Livia Soprano can be seen in Nancy Marchand's performance .... especially the dynamic between her character and that of her son.

Robert Culp is one of the most unique actors/writers/directors ever to hit the seen... unfortunately, he's been so UNDERRATED as of late. His hit TV series of TRACKDOWN and I SPY launched his career and he deserves much more recognition. This particular movies echos his ability as an enigmatic detective on a case of a murdered girl... I only wish the hell it was available to buy or rent! Any suggestions? Robert! I'm seeing Bill Cosby in concert tonight... I hope I run into you--You're the greatest!

When my friend told me that there is a good film on TV tonight ii said that I am not interested in those old underrated movies. But when I saw that Kim Basinger is the leading actress I have become more interested in watching it. I didn't sorry because it was great, interesting thriller that I didn't expect. Everyone who has a chance to watch this film, than watch it, because it is really interesting!

KILLJOY opens with a woman's murder, then quickly switches to a hospital, where a soap opera ensues.

Dr. Paul Trenton (John Rubinstein) is in love with Laury Medford (Kim Basinger), who is engaged to Dr. Max Heller (Stephen Macht), who just might have been fooling around with the murdered woman!

Enter Lou Corbin (Robert Culp), who dated Joy Morgan, which was apparently the dead woman's name! Lou is a total pest, haunting Heller at the expense of his relationship with Laury.

Containing several improbable twists and a fairly obvious killer, this made-for-TV movie is more fun than a barrel full of coconuts! Laury's inordinate interest in tracking down Ms. Morgan borders on the frighteningly obsessive. Her "Nancy Drew" sleuthing is highly entertaining. Dr. Trenton's willingness to use elaborate subterfuge to break up Laury and Max is absurd, but fun!

The fact that every major cast member goes rummaging through Joy Morgan's house at some point is quite amusing! Of course, nothing compares to the preposterous, jaw-dropping, yet totally satisfying finale... in the morgue!

1980's TV at its zenith!...