Karla is a 2006 American drama and thriller film. The film is based on the true story of two of Canada's most notorious serial killers, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, though the names of the victims were changed, with the exception of Karla's sister.^[1]

Plot[link]

The film starts with Dr. Arnold (Patrick Bauchau) in a questioning session with Karla Homolka (Laura Prepon) in Regional Psychiatric Center in Canada. Dr. Arnold is trying to help Karla express her true feelings about the events which occurred in her personal life. But Homolka seems to be refusing and negating all possibilities.

Karla opens up the following day, recounting memories from the time she met Paul Bernardo (Misha Collins). Karla with her friend Peggy is in a restaurant when Bernardo arrives with his friend Nick. After a little chit chat Paul and Karla advance towards having sex in front of their friends, which was shocking to both their friends. Karla thinks it is no big deal to have kinky sex or have sex in front of friends and that it is completely normal.

Dr. Arnold tells Homolka that Paul blames their relationship for his nature to rape. Dr. Arnold questions about hints which Bernardo gave her of him being a rapist; to that Karla says that it was normal her when he said and that Paul was a rapist before they met. Dr. Arnold then asks about her relationship and jealousy towards her younger sister Tammy Homolka as she could see that Paul was attracted to her. Karla confesses that Paul wanted to deflower her sister and that he liked virgins. Bernardo and Homolka had a short argument over which he confessed that he wanted Tammy, he even convinced Karla on the name of his love to help him have sex with Tammy. Karla agreed and stole tranquilizers from her veterinary clinic.

On the night of Christmas, Paul drugged Tammy's drinks until she dropped unconscious. Paul started video recording the process of Tammy's sexual abuse with Karla. Karla, who was covering Tammy's face with a rag was hesitant when Paul asked her to get sexual with Tammy. Bernardo hit Karla hard when she refused to. But soon Tammy started choking; both Homolka and Paul panicked and made emergency call to 911. While Karla was disposing the tranquilizers, Paul was dressing Tammy and trying to revive her. Detectives and medics surrounded the area and after brief questioning, the detective tells Paul and Karla that Tammy is dead. Paul has already hidden the tape he made of Tammy.

Karla tells Dr. Arnold that Paul was obsessed with Tammy and kept watching the video repeatedly and even showing his friends. A friend suggests a mode of income to Paul which involved moving drugs from across the border. Paul and Karla buy a new home and their lives become good financially but Paul becomes more abusive with time. Paul begins to rape and kill women and also tells Karla without hesitation. Karla does not object to Paul's actions and continues her romance with him as she loved him deeply wanted to marry him. Paul continues having sex with other women and also started bringing his victims at home. Karla does not resist his routine and even involves sexually with the victims when Bernardo asks her to. She tells Dr. Arnold that Paul used to get violent if his videos were ruined and that she was sympathetic towards the victim.

Paul kills one of his victims named Tina McCarthy because she opened her eyes and he feared that she would recognize them. Paul cuts Tina's body into pieces and cements them separately to dispose off. Paul and Karla get married. Bernardo and Homolka visit the Czehowicz couple after their honeymoon, when they are told by the Czehowicz that the body of the girl who was chopped is recognized. Karla and Paul get startled and Paul becomes even more abusive towards her.

Karla tells Dr. Arnold that Paul stopped for sometime after Tina's body was recovered but he was mentally craving for it. He started losing his friends and even their relationship was getting worse. Paul and Karla pick up another teenage girl named Kaitlyn Ross and rape her. Karla realizes that the girl is missing her shoe, Paul gets upset with this, hits Karla and leaves her with Kaitlyn giving her a mallet to use on the girl in case. The disappearance of Kaitlyn attracts a lot of media frenzy. Parents of Kaitlyn make an appeal on television to the abductors. Paul shows the TV appeal to Kaitlyn and kills her. The police arrives at Paul's house for investigation. Paul pretends to be very co-operative and police leave satisfied. Paul becomes extremely violent and beats Karla mercilessly. Karla approaches the Czehowicz couple for help.

Paul is booked under domestic violence but is released after a night. Paul tells his friend that he has tapes of Karla killing her sister Tammy and he would reveal all if he is in more trouble. Karla leaves Paul and feels free, but her freedom does not keep her happy for long. Paul is arrested by the police under suspicion of The Scarborough Rapes because of matched DNA samples. During the trial Paul testifies that it was Homolka who killed Kaitlyn Ross with a mallet. Karla denies all killings. Paul Bernardo is convicted on two counts of murder without any possibility of parole. Karla is given a sentence of 12 years in exchange for a guilty plea for manslaughter. The notes of the parole review read that Karla is denied parole as she is found to be extremely artificial and manipulative.

Production[link]

The film was originally titled Deadly, but was renamed Karla before its release. The script is based on court transcriptions, interviews and video shot by Homolka and Bernardo.

Release[link]

The film has caused significant controversy in Canada, where the families of victims Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy initially said that the film was exploiting the memory of their daughters. Politicians in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, including Attorney General Michael Bryant, have called for a boycott of the film, and one Canadian theatre chain, Cineplex Odeon, has already stated that it will show the film only in its major urban markets in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. The film was originally booked to debut at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival, until protests by Air Canada,^[2] a corporate sponsor of the festival, put an end to the idea.

Lawyer Tim Danson, who represents the French and Mahaffy families, had a private screening of the film in September with the families in attendance. The following month, he announced that the families would not oppose the film's Canadian release.

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• Canadian distributors to release Homolka film
• The Gazette, January 11, 2006
• Karla Movie Review

External links[link]

• Karla at the Internet Movie Database