The killer in the neck

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Movie
German title The killer in the neck
Original title One woman's courage
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1994
length 87 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Charles Robert Carner
script John Steven Owen
production Frank Fischer
Bonnie Raskin
music John M. Keane
camera John R. Leonetti
cut Jim McElroy
occupation

The killer in the neck is an American thriller from 1994. Alternatively, the film title "Courageous witness" is used in German-speaking countries.

The witness to a brutal murder of a young woman is left in the knowledge by the acquitted perpetrator that he could kill her at any time.

Short version of the plot

With thoughts of her marital problems, Grace McKenna observes the brutal assault on a young woman from her car. She drives the victim to the hospital, who later dies of her injuries. After initial doubts, Grace reports to the police, who, thanks to her testimony, can bring the perpetrator Wallace Bremer to justice. In the absence of evidence, the defendant is acquitted, but immediately put back in handcuffs because of an assault on the witness. Bremer managed to break out of custody. Grace is now at the mercy of Bremer's macabre thirst for revenge. However, he doesn't just want to kill her, but lets her and those around them know again and again that he could take action. With police and later friendly support from Commissioner Bill Lawson, Grace takes up the fight against the murderer of women.

Detailed plot

Grace McKenna observes in her car in a remote area late at night how a man wildly beats a strange woman. She selflessly gets out of the car to rush to the victim's aid. Although she is initially harassed by the perpetrator himself, she manages to drive the seriously injured victim to the hospital.

At the hospital, Grace telephones her husband Craig, who orders her not to give evidence to the police for her own safety. Grace later learns on the television news that the victim succumbed to the injuries. Grace can no longer reconcile it with her conscience to oppose the appeal of the mother of the murdered and reports to the police as a witness (called in the film as "Good Samaritan").

The perpetrator's face is too impressed on Grace so that she quickly succeeds in identifying the perpetrator on mug shots and in a confrontation . In this confrontation, the first unexpected direct encounter between the perpetrator Wallace Bremer and Grace McKenna occurs after Bremer jumps through the screen into the witness room and pounces on the witness Grace.

Not only the upcoming testimony in court against Bremer, who is accused of five more murders, is a great burden for Grace, her marital problems also affect her severely. Craig cultivates a relationship with another woman, he subtly shows Grace that their marriage is only a pure community of convenience geared towards his needs. After all, Grace finds support and security with her adult children, son Ted McKenna, an artist and globetrotter, and daughter Frannie Pearson, who is herself married and has two children (Melissa and Michael). Grace can also speak openly with her neighbor Stella Jenson. However, none of this can prevent her from seeking refuge in alcohol .

The testimony at the trial turns into a fiasco for Grace. The defendant's defense attorney tears Grace apart because of her slight visual impairment, but above all because of her alcohol problem and the fact that she was also intoxicated at the time of the alleged crime. Wallace Bremer is acquitted by the jury , but immediately arrested again in Lieutenant Bil Lawson's courtroom for the attack at the witness confrontation. Grace's certainty that Bremer is now in prison and therefore could not take revenge on her is short-lived, as Bremer manages to escape through a ruse.

At home, Grace has to take another blow as husband Craig has decided to move out of the common house and wants to file for divorce. Left on her own, Grace is now more or less defenseless at the mercy of Wallace Bremer's vengeance. However, Bremer is not anxious to simply kill Grace as quickly as possible, rather he wants to wear her down mentally for the time being.

  • Grace is contacted by phone and intimidated by Bremer, he threatens to "visit her".
  • Grace notices that Bremer has rammed a knife into a picture frame hanging in the house with a portrait of her.
  • While Grace is in the shower, Bremer sneaks into the house and writes the words "Here's looking at you Grace" on the glass door, which is misted by the hot water.
  • After Lieutenant Bil Lawson offers to protect Grace to spend the night in the house or in the living room with Grace, Grace notices that a stranger has gone to bed with her. Grace suspects it is Bil Lawson. When she discreetly defends herself, she is horrified to find that Bremer went to bed with her. Bremer flees outside, followed by Lieutenant Lawson. In this fight Bremer is injured in the leg by a shot by Bil Lawson, but is able to escape.

Grace McKenna then decides to move in with her son Ted for the time being. When Grace's neighbor sees Stella in the now abandoned house to the right, she becomes Bremer's next victim, but survives the attack, seriously injured. Thanks to the hint on the answering machine, Bremer manages to find Grace's whereabouts. Once there, Bremer drives in Stella's car with the goods lift directly into Ted's studio. Bremer steps on the accelerator and hits Ted, who remains injured in his leg, while Grace escapes from the studio, pursued by Bremer. Grace then returns to her own apartment.

Despite the great danger that Grace is still exposed to because of Bremer's lust for Rachel, she is extremely self-confident. After the separation from her husband Craig, Grace wants to prove to herself and her family that she can manage her life independently. In order to defend herself, Grace takes gun shooting lessons. But even this cannot prevent Grace from being threatened again by Bremer. When Grace wants to seek consolation in confession and make atonement in the church, it is not the pastor who is sitting in the confessional opposite, but Bremer. The right pastor appears just in time, who can put a man from Bremen to flight.

An ever deeper relationship emerges between Grace McKenna and Lieutenant Bil Lawson from the initial friendly affection. Lawson spends the night not only protecting Grace at home, but also sleeping with her as Grace's new lover.

Because of a false tip, Lieutenant Lawson was called to a mission to arrest Bremer the next day. Bremer only waits for this moment until Grace is alone in the house to take his revenge on her. However, Grace can successfully defend herself in combat and would even have the opportunity to shoot Bremer with her gun. In time, however, Lieutenant Lawson comes back, who can prevent Grace from this "act of self-defense".

Trivia

  • The film is set in Los Angeles , which is where the shooting took place.

Reviews

  • The internet platform cinema.de evaluates the film as a routine crime thriller with no impact and adds: The characters are all stereotypes, the plot is implausible and the killer is a picture-book psychopath without any motivation

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ film review on cinema.de