Karla: Worst. Movie. Ever.

  • Posted by Jenny
  • Filed in Film
  • January 21, 2006

karlablogto.jpg
Misha Collins as Paul Bernardo and Laura Prepon as his wife, Karla Homolka

Against my better judgement last night, I went to the Carlton to see Karla, the made-for-TV-gone-to-theatre portrait of schoolgirl killers Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo.

I figured, American filmmakers might actually do something unique with this movie. If you're going to re-enact Bernardo's and Homolka's heinous sex crimes, you might as well go all the way. No dice.

Karla is so sickingly apologetic to Homolka while leaving many factual pieces out. The story unfolds of Homolka (That '70s Show's Laura Prepon) in Joliette prison speaking to a psychiatrist in 2002 in a whirlwind of montages and flashbacks. Homolka's character retells how she met Bernardo until the time they both went to prison.

The film's intent is to portray both Bernardo and Homolka as evil, but because they never expose why their behaviour is so, both characters come off bland. In fact, they make Homolka seem like the victim of a manipulative husband, who couldn't escape his abuse unless she went along with his crimes. Aside from the screaming from husband Paul (Misha Collins), the beatings in the movie are tame compared to what happens off-camera. If you're going to document true-crime, get down and dirty.

The victims' names are changed albeit not so subtly. And who realistically introduces herself by her first and last name anyhow to strangers? "Hi, my name is Linda McCarthy," said one girl as she asked Bernardo for a cigarette.

What irked me most is Homolka's "deal with the devil" was completely left out. Director Joel Bender neglected to mention Ken Murray, Bernardo's original lawyer who hid the evidence videotapes before turning them over to the new attorney when he quit. By that time, Homolka had already bargained 12 years in prison in return for testifying against her husband.

Kristen French's portrayal was appalling. As Bernardo forces her to tell him she loves him, the script has the teen cry, "There are some things worth dying for!" I looked around the theatre and heard several people gasp at that line then shake their heads. "What is wrong with this director? Who writes this?" one guy said aloud, while another guy behind me started shouting, "Propaganda!"

No wonder there are NOW and EYE newspaper boxes outside the theatre with signs that read, "Boycott this movie. Respect the truth."

Karla, at best, is a low-budget City-TV movie they show at 3 a.m. The "scary thriller-movie" music is almost too much at times and the focus on Karla's teased bangs worse. It's nothing the papers haven't covered in the past and the impact less than reading court articles in detail. It's offensive in the sense that it's just a really poorly-made film.

The final shot zooms in on Karla's eyes. The voiceover says, "I did kill somebody...I killed my little sister. How can anyone ever be forgiven for that? I think about what I did every day. I really do."

The audience erupted into a unison, "Booooo!"

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that's incredible to hear how active the audience was in voicing their distate.

Posted by: Tanja at January 21, 2006 4:57 PM

Posted by: Jenny at January 21, 2006 6:06 PM

what's even more incredible is how bad karla is as a film, regardless of the story behind it. if it wasn't based (and i mean very very loosely based) on real events, such a shoddy script would never see the light of day, and such horrible execution in directing and acting would mean the end of many careers. in general, karla was a badly made movie.

Posted by: Sameer Vasta [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 22, 2006 11:43 PM

im a 16 year old girl from burlington ontario and i, as well as many friends, refuse to see this movie. It's violating, disgusting and i can't believe there is someone out there willing to make money off of exploiting this.

Posted by: annon at February 2, 2006 3:20 PM

I am a girl approx. the same age Kristen French would have been from St. Catharines. As a local resident I remember the brutal crimes and how taxing it was on the community. Don't see the movie, why bring the feelings of helplessness and brutality back to the community. God bless Mr. and Mrs. French and their ability to stand this injustice. Wish them well but don't keep bringing their worst nightmare back to them

Posted by: starsha at February 27, 2006 12:16 PM

Not to disrespect the loved ones and the friends of the victims of this crime but how do you think the famlies and the friends of other true crime based movies felt when their stories were made into movies. You have probly seen some of them. Texas chainsaw massicare, ted bundy, gacey, they were all movies and I'm pretty sure everyone has seen at least one of them. Any movie based on a true story. I am very sorry for you having to loose someone you love so very much but are you not quilty to some degree on enjoying someone elses grife as well.

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Posted by: TwoFour at June 24, 2006 4:46 PM

im the type of person who reads and watches movies with a background i find it more interesting than fiction it has caracter and if it were up to me that movie would still be in canada to this day and so on

Posted by: jenn at June 25, 2006 2:01 PM

joel Bender,


SHAME ON YOU.

Posted by: angela at June 26, 2006 11:11 PM

I dont care what anyone says. I saw the movie twice and loved it. It was everything I expected and more. Dont get me wrong, obviously I dont agree with what happened, but this movie definitly gives you a rude awakening on how easy it was for someone like Paul to take these girls.

I think in order to form your own opinion on this case you have to read these books and see this movie, dont think what the general population or the media wants you to think. Get the facts for yourself. I used to think Karla was 100% innocent, but now I second guess that. But then again you CANT put all the blame on just one of them. We will never know the whole truth about what happened after the camera was off. Only Karla and Paul know who the real killer is...

I guess what im tryin to get at here is, we dont know who did what, so why is Karla out and Paul is still locked up? Im not saying I want her back behind bars, but theres something wrong when 2 people commit such crimes together and only one gets a harsh sentence! I say let him out!

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Posted by: Halo at March 19, 2007 7:21 PM

After reading the books I think Paul was alot more to blame then Karla. Ya she did alot of wrong but until you have a spouse that is so controling and threatening to kill you and or your family you dont know what you would do. I think he is alot worse person then she is he was also the scarbouro rapest. She wasn't she was at home or work when he was out rapeing all those women.Read the books im sure you'd agree.

Posted by: carla at May 4, 2007 12:09 AM

read all the books im sure you too will agree Paul was alot worse then Karla after all he was also the scarbouro rapest not her.

Posted by: carla at May 4, 2007 12:10 AM

Have not seen the movie yet but would like to rent. Karla went along with the whole thing... She knew what she was doing. She knows right from wrong just like Paul did. Karla, in my opinion ENCOURAGED the horrific acts placed upon these helpless young females and her sister. The whole battered wife excuse is a bunch of B.S.

Posted by: val at May 15, 2007 5:13 PM

This one makes sence "One's first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."

Posted by: Yvette Blowers at June 14, 2007 4:54 AM

the part where she says " some things are worth dying for " is what kristen french actually said its on the tapes that bernardo had.

Posted by: me at June 17, 2007 12:03 PM

karla is equally evil and depraved as paul becuase she murdered her little sister for sexual gratification, that is fucking insane. if any of the victims were my my family i would remove her from this world.

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Posted by: Sabrina Crane at June 28, 2007 10:10 AM

Karla and Paul are both fucked in the head. i think the both of them should be killed for what they have done.
the movie about this whole thing is discusting /.. DONT WATCH it .. after i watched it i thought i was going to be sick to my stomache..i also had nightmares.. its just not something you want to watch , and have to rethink about what happened with all those innocent girls

Posted by: nat at August 11, 2007 2:02 AM

This movie is outrageous. My heart goes out to those families.

Posted by: Anann at September 25, 2007 11:02 AM

i live near where these crimes happened. I don't see the big deal about the movie though. So many true story based movies have been made and we've all seen at least one. What is the difference here? I think they should both be in jail the rest of their lives, but who cares about the movie, really?

Posted by: anonymous at October 4, 2007 11:28 PM

i am sorry to say this but i think that is a good thing that this movie came out ... although not everything in it is exactly what happened some people that want to know more about what happed now can know .... i was born in raised where this all happened and for years i have heard about it cuz my dad knew Leslie but i never got to know mroe about it but i was always interested and this movie gives more information

Posted by: mel at November 5, 2007 2:31 PM

I haven't seen the movie yet but I am looking for a movie rental store that sells it or rents it, I very much want to see it. To some people it is unfair that the death of their family member or friend is exploited in a movie but truthful I feel that they shouldn't feel this way. U can say I have no right to say this because I didn't know the victims or their families and I wasn't there to see how it shocked and devasted the community. U can even say I can't relate to how the family feels but that's where u're wrong.... I had a 22 month cousin named Makala that died from the hands of a human being. She was murder in a very upseting way as the young girls did my Karla and Paul. It devasted my family, friends and the community. My family at one time during MaKala's death was torn apart because it was someone close to the family that did this. So yes I can relate the the vistim's families and I know the pain the feel. The girl that commented the murder only got 5 years and she is free now to live her life but Makala never will....And yes I have alot of hard feelings towards the murder and I miss my cousin dearly but my feelings will never change the past. But if someone was to make a movie about and I believed that the could betray it in a truthful manner I would completely agree with it....because maybe there would be a family out there going thru the same pain or a child being abused but the family doesn't recognize the signs and the watch the movie and it saves a child or a family from being destroyed. Then my cousin's death wouldn't be in vein....just maybe her memory could save another child's life.

Posted by: Family Memories at December 4, 2007 12:52 AM

the line spoken by Kristen French "some things are worth dying for" was taken from the actual video tapes. it was not an appalling portrayal.

Posted by: true crime addict at December 8, 2007 10:43 PM

they are both guilty as sin! they are both sickos and she is as guilty as he is for people such as these two they deserve nothing less than a death sentence. she knew right from wrong, and she played her part in the whole thing . don't try to make it out to be spousal abuse that's crap when you can take you own sisters life and let then man you are married to abuse you own sister that says enough! and what about the other girls? karla now has a baby...the other girls will never get to experience mothwerhood and what about their families? both karla and paul deserve nothing less than death and rid the world of these creeps

Posted by: samantha at June 10, 2008 4:59 PM

I haven't seen the movie, and don't really want to. The events are still fresh in peoples minds, and St. Catharines never returned to normal after it all took place. I'm from St. Catharines, and several people I know either worked with, lived nearby or were in some way interacting with Homolka and Bernardo during it all.

The line spoken by French is accurate. It's in the video tapes. She was a smart, athletic, pretty & popular girl. The line showed her strength. SO regardless of how crappy the movie may be, it's probably a lot more accurate than people realize. From clips here and there that I HAVE seen, several things have remained the same, even the name of the mall that Homolka asks for directions to.

Posted by: S at June 11, 2008 10:33 PM

This is the worst movie I've ever heard of.
I watched the clip on Kristen French's kidnapping [extremely terrible as far as accuracy goes] and I can not sleep at night because all I think about is how Karla makes money off of this garbage.

I honestly hope I never meet Karla, and Paul is never free.

They will regret the day.

Posted by: annonymous at June 20, 2008 1:14 PM

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