Nightkill

Nightkill

Year: 1980

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: English

Director: Ted Post

ThrillerMysteryHorrorCrime

A chilling sense of dread grips you—dry throat, racing heart, skin crawling. The wife of a powerful industrialist becomes entangled in a deadly web of intrigue and murder that she herself set in motion. As she attempts to flee the consequences of her deceit, she discovers she is equally ensnared by deception.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Nightkill (1980)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Nightkill (1980). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1970s to early 1980s

The narrative unfolds in a contemporary period when air travel, private investigators, and discreet surveillance are integral to high-society plots. Fashion, technology, and social dynamics reflect a late 70s/early 80s sensibility, shaping how characters scheme and respond to danger. The era’s atmosphere amplifies suspicion, secrecy, and financial intrigue.

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, Denver, Colorado, hillside luxury home, abandoned mining camp, cement plant

The story centers around a luxurious hillside home in Phoenix and expands to airport lounges in Denver, highlighting a modern urban landscape. Key locations like an abandoned mining camp and a cement plant at the city’s edge provide stark, isolated settings for pursuit and danger. The mix of affluent interiors and gritty outskirts underlines the contrast between wealth and peril that drives the thriller.

🏜 Desert city ✈️ Travel & surveillance 🏭 Wealth & power

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

Main Characters – Nightkill (1980)

Meet the key characters of Nightkill (1980), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Katherine Atwell (Kathy) — played by Jaclyn Smith

A restless Phoenix housewife whose affair with Steve Fulton sets off a deadly chain of events. She becomes entangled in lies and is pressured to stay silent as trouble mounts. Fear and moral conflict drive her, and she finds herself a target in a dangerous game of pursuit and exposure.

🎭 Drama 🔎 Mystery

Wendell Atwell — played by Mike Connors

A wealthy industrialist who guards a hidden fortune and orchestrates a plan to fake his death. His disappearance triggers a cascade of suspicion and pursuit, and his money remains the ultimate prize for those who stand to gain from his absence.

💼 Wealth 🔎 Mystery

Steve Fulton — played by James Franciscus

The alloy of charm and ruthlessness who engineers Wendell’s murder to claim the fortune and impersonate the victim. He schemes behind Kathy’s back and uses deception to manipulate those around him, demonstrating a calculating, dangerous ambition.

🎭 Drama 🕵️‍♂️ Intrigue

Lt. Donner / Kelly Rodriguez — played by Robert Mitchum

A seasoned investigator who doubles as the mastermind behind the surveillance scheme. He manipulates Kathy, weaponizes recordings, and uses the pursuit to siphon Wendell’s fortune for himself. His dual role creates a chilling tension between authority and betrayal.

🕵️ Detective 🔪 Twist

Herbert Childs — played by Fritz Weaver

Kathy’s attorney and friend who becomes entangled in the web of affairs and lies. His presence adds a layer of complexity to the moral and legal fallout, with insinuations about loyalties and intentions.

⚖️ Legal 🎭 Drama

Monika Childs — played by Sybil Danning

Herbert’s wife, who appears at pivotal moments and reacts to the revelations with suspicion. Her observations contribute to the mounting tension as relationships unravel.

🎭 Drama 🕵️‍♀️ Suspense

Christine — played by Belinda Mayne

Wendell’s secretary who first flags Wendell’s absence. Her presence provides a procedural touchpoint and helps propel the investigation, though she remains peripheral to the central manipulation.

🗂️ Office drama 🔎 Inquiry

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

Major Themes – Nightkill (1980)

Explore the central themes of Nightkill (1980), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️‍♂️ Deception

Deception drives the plot from the outset: Steve Fulton plots Wendell’s murder to assume his identity, while private investigations and hidden recordings reveal betrayals. Kathy is pulled into a web of lies, uncertain whom to trust as the truth fragments under pressure. The pileup of misdirections sustains suspense and keeps the audience guessing who is truly in control.

💰 Greed

The million-dollar stash in the airport locker is a powerful motivator, fueling manipulation, theft, and power plays. Characters exploit wealth to control others, and the pursuit of Wendell’s fortune becomes the ultimate prize. The film uses money as a catalyst for every dangerous decision and double-cross.

🔪 Murder

Murder acts as the central pivot around which the plot turns—from poisoning to staged disappearances and a brutal showdown. The body count rises in chilling, methodical fashion as confidences collapse and danger closes in on Kathy. The escalating violence underscores the fragility of trust in a world ruled by secrets.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

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Nightkill Summary

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Nightkill Summary

Nightkill Timeline

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Nightkill Timeline

More About Nightkill

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