Kiss the Girls 4K 1997

Yet another horror movie about a serial killer targeting young women turned out to be more complex than it seemed. At least the premise was intriguing—a man who calls himself Casanova kidnaps young, attractive women (well, who else would he kidnap in a movie like this?). Later, several of them are found dead and tied to a tree in the woods. They’ve been brutally raped, tied up with more than just a simple knot, and their severed hair lies nearby. In short, the killer has his own ritual, and as always, he’s very clever and leaves not a single trace. And that means one thing—the thriller will be solid, interesting, and well-thought-out.

And that’s exactly how it turns out. Although the beginning features the usual buildup to the most interesting parts—that is, we’re briefly introduced to the characters, shown the search efforts, and the first victims—once the main character is kidnapped, the film gets back on track and quickly picks up steam.

And this is where things really get interesting. Although the film doesn’t show any murders, psychological thrillers captivate the audience in other ways. The very idea of being locked up, in an unknown location, in some damp and dark basement, while the voices of other victims echo nearby—that alone creates a creepy atmosphere. On top of that, the film now introduces mysteries, intrigue, suspects, initial successes, and initial failures.

The Achilles’ heel of all thrillers and horror films is the plot holes or the characters’ downright foolish actions. You have to admit, it’s annoying. At times, it seems like there are gaps and inconsistencies here as well, but later the film explains everything on its own, and everything seems more or less logical and plausible. At least, in most cases. So they did work on the flaws. Although some of them remain—this is especially noticeable in the finale, even though the scene is powerful and even instructive.

And finally, I can’t fail to mention the actors who graced the film with their presence.

Morgan Freeman. I can’t even think of any of his flops. Here, he once again takes on the role of a cop—and, as always, he’s damn good at it. And although this character isn’t exactly new for him, his performance is, as always, top-notch.

Ashley Judd. This actress is excellent in thrillers—and she’s quite lovely in her own right, too. She held her own admirably in the role of Kate McTiernan. In fact, her character is truly admirable: beautiful, intelligent, brave, and headstrong.