To Kill a Stranger (1984) User Reviews

Entertaining international thriller with a few horror touches.

[capkronos · 6/10 · 18 March 2003]

Singing star Cristina Carver (Angelica Maria, who performs one song) is on her way to see her husband John (Dean Stockwell) when she wrecks her rented BMW. She walks to a gas station, gets a lift from wealthy Colonel Kostik (Donald Pleasence at his creepy best) and goes back to his large house to use his phone. He turns out to be a psychotic sex predator who lies about having a wife, tries to rape and strangle her and then chases after her with a shotgun. After hitting him over the head several times and shooting him, he finally dies, she panics, throws the body in a well and buries the evidence... scared his stature and reputation as a respected war hero will kill her chances at a fair trial. And she seems to be right!

Though a bit far-fetched, this thriller (which was filmed in 1982) is making serious statements about police and military corruption in South American countries and of the poor legal rights given to international tourists abroad. Other than Pleasence and Stockwell, people may be interested in seeing Aldo Ray as a police inspector and Mad Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones (who was very badly dubbed) as a military officer. American director Paul Leder (I DISMEMBER MAMA) was the post production supervisor.

Great idea, flawed execution

[highwaytourist · 5/10 · 5 May 2007]

The premise was terrific- a businesswoman in a South American country stops at a mansion after her car breaks down, but is assaulted by the owner. He attempts to kill her, but she outwits and kills him in self-defense. She hides the body, but it turns out that her assailant was a locally revered war hero, and her husband is a journalist who has angered the government with his coverage of local human rights abuses. Problem is partly the low budget, but also the fact that the screenwriters and producers didn't know what to do with it. The result is a mediocre, cheap-looking mystery/thriller that grinds to a predictable ending. Too bad.

For what it is, not bad

[Wizard-8 · 4 September 2010]

This movie was made primarily by Mexican talent, so given the time period this was made, you can probably figure that this won't be a very slick production. It has a made-for-TV feel despite being made for theaters, there are a couple of botches with the editing (two scenes seem to be out of order, for one thing), and you never get a real feeling of being in a foreign land with all the generic locations (indoors and outdoors) chosen.

Still, I have to admit that I was never bored at any time watching this movie. The movie did make me curious as to how the protagonists would handle the situation, and also how the movie would be resolved. As a bonus, you get to see a hammy Donald Pleasence play a would-be rapist/killer, and see MAD Magazine artist Sergio Aragones play a hotheaded member of the military. If you are prepared for a somewhat crudely-made movie, chances are that you'll find the movie agreeable and forgive its shortcomings.

Weak thriller

[lor_ · 24 February 2023]

My review was written in September 1985 after watching the movie on Media Home Entertainment video cassette.

Shot in Mexico in 1982, "To Kill a Stranger" is a low-voltage, theatrically-unreleased thriller currently available in home video stores. Merely competent direction by horror vet Juan Lopez-Moctezuma and okay thesping add up to an overfamiliar entry unlikely to find a niche in the market place.

Latin actress-singer Angelica Maria toplines as Cristina Carver, naturalized American wife of tv reporter Dean Stockwell, who files in after a nightclub gig to be with him in an unnamed country run by the military. After a traffic accident, she foolishly goes home with a Good Samaritan played by Donald Pleasence, who predictably attacks her with sex and murder on his mind. Killing Pleasence in self-defense, she hides the corpse and covers up the crime when a not-so-helpful truck driver tells her Pleasence is a local war hero whose death will set off the wrath of the government (and military).

Hubby Stockwell tries to protect his wife, but ultimately a wily police detective (Aldo Ray) uncovers the crime and ties matters up a bit too neatly, while holding off the bloodthirsty military elements led by Major Keller (Sergio Aragones).

English-language sound recording is adequate, but the film is unengrossing. Central plot structure and twists are very reminiscent of Rene Clement's 1970 international hit "Rider on the Rain", but executed without style.