Theatrical release poster
The Killing Kind is a 1973 Psychological Horror film directed by Curtis Harrington, starring John Savage, Ann Sothern, and Ruth Roman.
It chronicles the twisted relationship between Terry, a young ex-convict who committed an unspeakable act, and his mother Thelma, who runs a boarding house for elderly women.
Tropes in this film:
- Alliterative Title: The Killing Kind
- Bad People Abuse Animals: Terry's first act of psychopathy after returning home is to strangle his mother's cat Penny to prevent it from meowing and giving him away while he is spying on Lori through her bedroom window.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Terry and his mother, Thelma, are not exactly a picture of a healthy relationship.
- Camera Fiend: Thelma, an amateur photographer, obsessively photographs her son Terry, and frames the numerous portraits in the house. She even takes photographs of him while he is in the shower.
- Car Fu: Terry borrows his mother's car to stalk Tina, chasing her and forcing her off the road, where her car explodes.
- Cradling Your Kill: On realising that Terry is beyond help and that he will undoubtedly kill again, Thelma gives him a glass of chocolate milk laced with poison and then holds him in her lap as he dies.
- Dead Man's Chest: Thelma and Terry stuff Lori's body into a trash can to sneak it out of the house. Because rigor mortis has set in, Terry is forced to break her arm so she will fit. When they arrive at the dump, her hand is just sticking out of the top of the can, and the gatekeeper only fails to notice because he looks away at the wrong moment.
- Every Car Is a Pinto: Terry borrows his mother's car to stalk Tina, chasing her and forcing her off the road, where her car explodes.
- Force Feeding: Terry visits the home of Rhea Benson, the attorney who failed to get him a reduced sentence. In a deranged state, Terry forces her at knifepoint to ingest a significant amount of alcohol. When she falls unconscious, Terry lights her house on fire, burning her alive.
- Just Got Out of Jail: The film opens with Terry Lambert arriving home after serving two years in prison after being physically forced to participate in a gang rape.
- My Beloved Smother: Terry and his mother Thelma have a relationship of unusual intimacy. Thelma, an amateur photographer, obsessively photographs Terry, and frames the numerous portraits in the house. One day at the poolside, Terry pulls Lori into the water after she playfully pushes him in, and becomes aggressive, holding her head underwater. The altercation is witnessed by Thelma, who blames Lori for "leading Terry on" and calls her a slut. Thelma also obsessively feeds Terry chocolate milk like he is a still a little boy.
- Offing the Offspring: On realising that Terry is beyond help and that he will undoubtedly kill again, Thelma gives him a glass of chocolate milk laced with poison and then holds him in her lap as he dies.
- The Peeping Tom: Louise is a rare female version; using binoculars to spy on the Lambert house, and hunky young Terry in particular. When she observes the Terry and Thelma moving the trash can containing Lori's body in the middle of the night, she becomes suspicious that something is awry and phones the police.
- Rape by Proxy: Terry is forced to participate in a gang-rape as part of his Dark and Troubled Past.
- Ring-Ring-CRUNCH!: Terry responds to be being awoken from a very Freudian nightmare but smashing his fist down on the alarm clock several times and then hurling it across the room.
- Serial Killer: Terry.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: On realising that Terry is beyond help and that he will undoubtedly kill again, Thelma gives him a glass of chocolate milk laced with poison and then holds him in her lap as he dies.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Thelma is constantly serving Terry chocolate milk. This was probably his favourite drink when he was a boy, and is yet another sign of Thelma's refusal to acknowledge that he has grown up.
- Window Watcher: Terry spies on Lori through her bedroom window while she is undressing for bed.
