The Honeymoon Killers

Martha Beck, a lonely, overweight nurse, answers a mysterious correspondence club ad and begins exchanging letters with a suave stranger named Ray Fernandez. What starts as a desperate bid for companionship soon darkens as Martha discovers that Ray earns a living by seducing women and then swindling them, sometimes with deadly consequences. Rather than walk away, she doubles down on their bond, even posing as Ray's sister to stay close. The pair slip into a reckless spree, targeting vulnerable single women, while Martha grapples with a lingering fear that Ray will abandon her for one of his marks. The tension between dependence and danger fuels their volatile partnership. Its stark truth about obsession and crime lingers long after the credits.

Directed by Leonard Kastle, The Honeymoon Killers is drawn from the real life case of Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez. Released in 1970 as a stark independent feature, it marks Kastle's debut behind the camera and underscores its raw tone.

Over time the film has developed a cult following for its unflinching portrait of a dangerous pair and for its standout performances, especially Shirley Stoler as the calculating Martha. It is often cited as a precursor to grittier independent crime dramas and for its stark, uneasy mood.

Critics were divided on its blunt approach yet praised the film for its relentless psychological terrain and for risking sympathy with a female antagonist. Among its themes are dependency and coercion, desire misdirected by desperation, and the way loneliness can blur moral lines. The result is a film that lingers, unsettles, and invites repeat viewings for its tight, unsettling dynamics.

There were no major nominations or wins by widely tracked awards bodies for The Honeymoon Killers, but it has nevertheless earned lasting recognition in critics circles and among aficionados of independent and grindhouse cinema for its performances and stark approach to crime and romance.