Karla (2005)

0% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
38% of users liked it
(3,787 ratings)

Laura Prepon and Misha Collins star as the murderous pair whose deplorable crimes sent shock waves of terror rippling across Canada in director Joel Bender's unflinching look at the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. On the surface Bernardo (Collins) and Homolka (Prepon) were your average… More Laura Prepon and Misha Collins star as the murderous pair whose deplorable crimes sent shock waves of terror rippling across Canada in director Joel Bender's unflinching look at the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. On the surface Bernardo (Collins) and Homolka (Prepon) were your average everyday Canadian couple; they had a nice house in the suburbs, a dog, lots of friends, and a bright future ahead of them. As Paul is singled out as the prime suspect in a series of particularly vicious rapes and Karla's sister dies under mysterious circumstances, however, a horrifying truth begins to emerge that will lead the pair down a particularly dark path. Could it be that the manipulative murderer used fear and intimidation to keep his wife silent about the reprehensible atrocities he so casually committed without guilt or remorse, or was Karla Homolka in fact an equal partner who simply used her sociopathic power of manipulation to convince authorities that she truly believed she was in mortal danger all along? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Joel Bender
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 20, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Apr 3, 2007
Studio: Quantum Entertainment

Critic Reviews

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Things in the movie, like the slasher movie music cues, hint that Karla has exploitation in its veins. The reasons for making it -- and seeing it -- remain more than slightly suspect.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
You can call it guilty of exploitation, tastelessness or insensitivity if you like, but its greatest failing is a certain deadly pointlessness.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
No audience, Canadian or otherwise, will learn anything here outside of the macabre facts. Worse, they won't feel anything either, not even -- and this is inexcusable -- for the victims themselves.
Mark Palermo, Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Movies about real life serial killers are released frequently. It's when they're missing grief that they become an insult to the memory of the dead.
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
dispicable
S. James Wegg, JWR
Victims outshine their captors
Angela Baldassarre, Sympatico.ca
Because we only see one side of the events, "Karla" rings unconvincing and sensationalistic.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...hopelessly inept and thoroughly awful...
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Little ambiguity or tension at the core of this hollow karaoke version of the Bernardo-Homolka murders . . . Karla seldom probes its title character's own complicity.
Louis B. Hobson, Jam! Movies
What proves most disturbing is the way in which the film portrays Homolka as a victim.
Pat St. Germain, Jam! Movies
Controversial and innately creepy, it left me feeling... well, dirty.
Bruce Kirkland, Jam! Movies
In truth, nothing in the movie Karla will add much to the debate, other than serving as yet another reminder. But I do not believe it will do any harm, either.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Rather disturbing movie. Perspective is seemingly biased. News accounts of actual crime told a different tale, so I am not sure that I am buying the ole "he made me do it" perspective. She is just as much of a nutcase as he is, I think.
E.J. B

To me, any accomplice to murder is just as guilty as the person committing it. That's why I am so repulsed by this movie, because it portrays Karla Homolka as a tragic heroine, a victim. Anyone who knows how tragic and sensitive this case was knows that Karla is no victim.… More
To me, any accomplice to murder is just as guilty as the person committing it. That's why I am so repulsed by this movie, because it portrays Karla Homolka as a tragic heroine, a victim. Anyone who knows how tragic and sensitive this case was knows that Karla is no victim. There is no reason that a movie should be made of it, especially not one like this.
Luke B

Although interesting and quite informative of the actual case, the film is told through Karla's point of view. Not such a great idea for a script as she constantly, as does the film, paints her out to be a victim. Often more so than the actual victims. The acting is good and very… More
Although interesting and quite informative of the actual case, the film is told through Karla's point of view. Not such a great idea for a script as she constantly, as does the film, paints her out to be a victim. Often more so than the actual victims. The acting is good and very believable, but the whole film is overshadowed by a certain cheapness of direct to TV quality. A different angle and a more two sided debate would have improved the film, but as it is it is an average true life serial killer picture.
John M

Very good acting and entertaining BUT this movie was not real enough or explicit enough for being based on real sickening events.
nefnie l

I often wonder why real-life horrors are made into films. Obviously, they are watched. Is it the aroused curiosity from all the media hoopla we derive from these cases? Does it give serial killers, etc., an undeserved celebrity status? They do have their fans, including those who… More
I often wonder why real-life horrors are made into films. Obviously, they are watched. Is it the aroused curiosity from all the media hoopla we derive from these cases? Does it give serial killers, etc., an undeserved celebrity status? They do have their fans, including those who go far enough to even marry them. There is alot of of people angered and upset by this movie being made, and it definitely was disturbing to watch. Although this movie was based on Karla's interpretation of the events that occured, I thought they did a decent job of showing her coldness and detachment and lack of remorse. Although the acting was a little over-the-top, it is not to far-fetched to believe that it accurately portrays Paul and Karla. I suppose if anything can be learned from this movie, just as in the Ted Bundy movie, is to be aware that evil can come in pretty packages.
Lee K

Dissapointing highly dissapointing look at the sick and twisted love affair that was all to to close to home. A movie i personally dont think shouldve been made in the first place in respect for both the French and Mahaffy familes although I think the director gave both of the… More
Dissapointing highly dissapointing look at the sick and twisted love affair that was all to to close to home. A movie i personally dont think shouldve been made in the first place in respect for both the French and Mahaffy familes although I think the director gave both of the families private screenings of the film before the initial release and they both seemed content with the end product.
Laurence C

Criminally dishonest, Karla is basically the headlines shot with zero inspiration and acted on auto-pilot. There's nothing very scandalous in all of this, except, of course, the whole purpose of the damn film. It barely offers any insight on Bernardo and Homolka's… More
Criminally dishonest, Karla is basically the headlines shot with zero inspiration and acted on auto-pilot. There's nothing very scandalous in all of this, except, of course, the whole purpose of the damn film. It barely offers any insight on Bernardo and Homolka's psychology, and prefers to show us some sickeningly unecessary sexual torture scenes only to satisfy those who simply couldn't get enough of what they heard on television. Simply put, when a studio picks such a horrifying story and ends up having it filmed with such banality, both sides are downright wrong the result is a film that shouldn't exist, period.
Sarah P

This is a sick and sad TRUE story...the movie shows Karla as completely passive during the whole thing, but I would question if that's true. She would definately have to have something mentally wrong with her to let this happen.
Wu C

Despite the backlash, this movie is fairly accurate. I just wish that it didn't paint KH as such a victim. Not a must see, but Laura Prepon is pretty hot.