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The Killing Time

Name: The Killing Time
Director: Rick King
Released: 1987
Duration: 94 min

Representation Score

2.1/10

Limited

1987

Director

Rick King

Runtime

94 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Killing Time follows traditional 1980s thriller conventions, relying heavily on established genre clichés like the imposter and conspiracy. The narrative structure adheres to conventional social hierarchies without challenging them. While the film touches on moral relativism and corrupt authority figures, these elements primarily serve to heighten suspense. The focus remains on individual survival and revenge rather than social commentary.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Killing Time have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships and conflicts typical of melodramas, such as an extramarital affair. It does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or critiques of heterosexuality.

How does The Killing Time portray gender?

Fair

Laura Winslow faces severe domestic violence and systemic oppression. She attempts to gain control through a murder plot, but the narrative emphasizes her victim status. Male characters retain primary control over the plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Killing Time?

Limited

The cast appears predominantly white, fitting a typical 1980s small-town California setting. There is no significant racial diversity to drive the narrative.

How does The Killing Time represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story delves into subjective morality and situational ethics through a murder conspiracy. It prioritizes personal revenge over legal or religious institutions but does not critically examine Western societal structures.

Does The Killing Time include disability representation?

Minimal

The narrative and cast show no characters with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Explores complex themes of subjective morality and situational ethics.
Highlights intense, high-stakes power dynamics through its central conflict.

Limited or Absent

Relies on traditional victimhood clichés for female characters.
Lacks racial and LGBTQ+ diversity within the cast and narrative.
Maintains conventional social hierarchies without structural critique.

Official Synopsis

After a psychopath murders a man who was on his way to a job as a deputy sheriff in a small California town, he assumes the deputy's identity and arrives in town to start his new 'job'. What he doesn't know is that the recently appointed sheriff and his mistress are plotting to murder her evil husband—and blame it on the new deputy.

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