So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
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A commitment-phobic poet falls for a woman who might be a notorious serial killer.
The story
Charlie MacKenzie is a popular local beat poet in San Francisco who frequently breaks up with women. While purchasing supplies for his parents, he meets Harriet, a butcher who captures his interest. The two begin dating, but Charlie becomes increasingly uneasy after learning about a tabloid story regarding "Mrs. X," a bride who kills her husbands with an axe. Despite his fears, Charlie proposes to Harriet, and they head off on a honeymoon to a secluded mountain hotel. However, Charlie's suspicions are heightened when he learns that a killer in the Mrs. X story has confessed, leading to a tense atmosphere as they spend their first night together.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Charlie MacKenzie, a San Francisco beat poet, meets Harriet, a butcher, and begins dating her. Charlie's friend Tony, a detective, warns him about 'Mrs. X,' a woman who kills husbands with an axe. Charlie notices Harriet has ties to the victims' descriptions, including a martial arts background and a connection to a man named Ralph. Despite these red flags, Charlie proposes to Harriet. They go on a honeymoon to a secluded mountain hotel. Tony discovers the confessed killer was a liar and identifies Harriet as the real Mrs. X. He warns Charlie, but they are trapped in the hotel during a storm. Charlie hides in a closet and discovers Rose, Harriet's sister, is the actual killer who has been murdering husbands to 'save' Harriet. Rose attacks Charlie, but Tony arrives and arrests Harriet, believing her to be the killer. Rose is thrown from the roof and arrested. Charlie and Harriet remain together.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Thomas Schlamme
- Writers
- Robbie Fox · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mike Myers · Charlie MacKenzie; Mike Myers · Stuart; Nancy Travis · Harriet; Amanda Plummer · Rose; Anthony LaPaglia · Tony
- Genres
- romantic black comedy; crime comedy
- Themes
- commitment phobia; paranoia; domestic danger
- Tone and mood
- romantic; black comedy; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- serial killer; romance; comedy; mystery
- Reception
- The film received a mixed reception from critics and did not fare well at the box office, but it has gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 55% · review count: 40; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 30; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A to F
- Production trivia
- The film's original version featured a Jewish Charlie and was initially more about paranoia than commitment.; The film features a split-screen process to show Charlie and his father in the same scene.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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