History Film / KissTheGirls

The main plot involves the parallel trails of action of two kidnappers, the "Casanova" of North Carolina and the "Gentleman Caller" of California. Both of them are collectors responsible for the disappearances of numerous women, a few of whom are killed while the rest are held in long-term captivity for their abductors' sadomasochistic pleasure.

[[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kiss_the_Girls_movie_7217.jpg]]

''Kiss the Girls'' is a 1997 psychological thriller film directed by Creator/GaryFleder and starring Creator/MorganFreeman as African-American psychologist Alex Cross. It is an adaptation of the [[Literature/KissTheGirls 1995 novel of the same name]] by Creator/JamesPatterson.

The main plot involves the parallel trails of action of two kidnappers, the "Casanova" of North Carolina and the "Gentleman Caller" (Creator/TonyGoldwyn) of California. Both are collectors, responsible for the disappearances of numerous women. A few are actually killed. The rest are held in long-term captivity, for their abductors' sadomasochistic pleasure.

Cross is involved when his niece Naomi (Gina Ravera) becomes the latest missing victim in North Carolina. Cross joins forces with Kate [=McTiernan=] (Creator/AshleyJudd), the only recent victim who managed to escape on her own. The two have to find out the way the two criminals are connected and discover their identity before more victims are taken.

* WakingUpElsewhere: When Kate wakes up after her kidnapping, she looks up to see her dreamcatcher hanging from the ceiling, but on further glance, the [[MoodWhiplash ceiling turns out not to be her home's]].

* AxCrazy: Rudolph.

* CanonForeigner: Detective Henry Castillo.

* DeadpanSnarker:
** FBI Agent Kyle Craig.
** Rudolph comes off as this as well.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Casanova.

* GentleGiant: Detective Sampson.

* HospitalHottie: Kate's a doctor.

* {{Jerkass}}: Dr. Sachs.

* LargeHam: Rudolph.

* MotorMouth: Detective Henry Castillo.

* AdultFear: Naomi's mother after her girl's gone missing.

* SecretSquatter: The AnonymousKillerNarration at the beginning reveals that "Casanova" lived in his first obsession, Coty's, house for an entire month, becoming sexually obsessed with her, her sister, and her mother, before raping and killing them all.

* MadwomanInTheAttic: The [[AnonymousKillerNarrator opening monologue]] describes a self-inflicted version of this: Casanova moves into the attic of the house where his "first love" lives.

* FamousLastWords: Casanova's line "Goodnight... sweet Kate."

* FamousLastWords: Casanova's line "Goodnight... sweet Sarah."

* UnfamiliarCeiling: Casanova played with it. When Kate wakes up after her kidnapping, she looks up to see her dreamcatcher hanging from the ceiling, but on further glance, the [[MoodWhiplash ceiling turns out not to be her home's]].

''Kiss the Girls'' is a 1997 psychological thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring Creator/MorganFreeman as African-American psychologist Alex Cross. It is an adaptation of the [[Literature/KissTheGirls 1995 novel of the same name]] by Creator/JamesPatterson.

* DeadpanSnarker: FBI Agent Kyle Craig.

* DefiantCaptive: Kate is this. Her braveness helps her escape. It is mentioned that other defiant [[BunkerWoman bunker girls]] were offed by Casanova as their strong-willedness triggered the ControlFreak part in him.

* TheFaceless: The shot of Casanova sitting on his computer desk talking to his partner but we never get to see his face.

* SerialKiller[=/=]SerialRapist: Casanova is a sexual sadist who kidnaps women and locks them up in an underground dungeon deep in the woods so he can molest them repeatedly. He kills the ones who break his "rules" by tying them to a tree to die of starvation and exposure.

* SexSlave: Casanova keeps them.

* WickedCultured: Dr. Sachs isn't evil per say, but still a massive {{Jerkass}}. Rudolph and Casanova have shades of it as well.

* CarFu: Kate drives her car into the path of Will Rudolph's to stop him escape. He manages to get away still.

** Detective Nick Ruskin serves as one for the DPD, who unlike Chief Hatfield and his partner Detective Davey Sikes is nothing but helpful and polite. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out that Ruskin is Casanova.]]

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Does this with ''several'' women at once. The film's portrayal of Casanova stroking Kate's face and body while whispering in her ear really adds a major note of "creepy" to an already psychotic character.
* IWorkAlone: Cross doesn't want Kate to join him but gives in after she insists.

* KillerCop: [[spoiler:Casanova turns out to be Detective Nick Ruskin]].

* NiceGuy: Detective Nick Ruskin is the nicest member of the Durham Police Department, and is nothing but polite and courteous. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out ''he'' is Casanova.]]

* PostRapeTaunt: Done twice to Cross. First in the interrogation room by Dr. Sachs and then in the finale by Casanova who taunts Cross how he molested his kidnapped niece for ten days purely to press his RelativeButton. The first time around Cross loses his cool and attacks Sachs but in the second one he maintains his calculating demeanor long enough to defuse the TakingYouWithMe situation.

* SerialKiller[=/=]SerialRapist: Casanova is a sexual sadist who kidnaps women, locks them up in an underground dungeon deep in the woods so he can molest them repeatedly. He kills the ones who break his "rules" by tying them to a tree to die of starvation and exposure.

* TakingYouWithMe: Near the end Casanova attacks Kate in her own house and tries to rape her, but she successfully fights him off. He tears out the gas tubes in her kitchen and grabs a lighter so he can off them both, [[spoiler:but Cross arrives on the scene and manages distract Casanova long enough to kill him safely]].

* UnfamiliarCeiling: Casanova played with it. When Kate wakes up after her kidnapping, she looks up to see her dreamcatcher hanging from the ceiling but on further glance the [[MoodWhiplash ceiling turns out not to be her home's]].

* AloneWithThePsycho: Inverted. [[spoiler:Detective Ruskin is visiting one of the victims and reveals himself to be the serial rapist/killer]] just as Cross is putting the pieces together back at the station. The killer manages to [[CutPhoneLines cut the victim's phone line]] just before the other detective tries to call.

* AudibleSharpness: The sounds when Rudolph pulls out his knife to put it on Naomi's throat.

** William Rudolph comes off as this as well.

* GentleGiant: Detective John Sampson.

* LargeHam: William Rudolph.

* SerialKiller: And SerialRapist. Casanova is a sexual sadist who kidnaps women, locks them up in an underground dungeon deep in the woods so he can molest them repeatedly. He kills the ones who break his "rules" by tying them to a tree to die of starvation and exposure.

* TrophyRoom: Will Rudolph's freezer has a feet collection.

* JumpScare: When the villain kidnaps Kate from behind in her home.

* NiceGuy: Detective Nick Ruskin is the nicest member of the North Carolina Police Department, and is nothing but polite and courteous. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out ''he'' is Casanova.]]

* NiceGuy: Detective Nick Ruskin is the nicest member of the North Carolina Police Department. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out ''he'' is Casanova.]]

* DefiantCaptive: Kate is this. Her braveness helps her escape. It is mentioned that other defiant [[BunkerWoman bunker girls]] were offed by the villain as their strong-willedness triggered the ControlFreak part in him.

* NoEscapeButDown: During her escape from the villain, Kate has to decide whether to leap off a 150 foot waterfall or be recaptured. She takes the jump and gets away.

The main plot involves the parallel trails of action of two kidnappers, the "Casanova" of North Carolina and the "Gentleman Caller" of California. Both are collectors, responsible for the disappearances of numerous women. A few are actually killed. The rest are held in long-term captivity, for their abductors' sadomasochistic pleasure.

* AloneWithThePsycho: Inverted. [[spoiler:An officer is visiting one of the victims and reveals himself to be the serial rapist/killer]] just as Cross is putting the pieces together back at the station. The killer manages to [[CutPhoneLines cut the victim's phone line]] just before the other detective tries to call.

* KillerCop: [[spoiler:The villain turns out to be a police detective]].

Cross is involved when his niece Naomi (Gina Ravera) becomes the latest missing victim in North Carolina. Cross joins forces with Kate Mc Tiernan (Ashley Judd), the only recent victim who managed to escape on her own. The two have to find out the way the two criminals are connected and discover their identity before more victims are taken.

* KillerCop: [[spoiler:THe villain turns out to be a police detective]].

* DramaticSlip: Kate trips multiple times when escaping from the bunker. Justified as she was off-balanced by [[SlippingAMickey drugs in her sandwich]].

* SerialKiller: And SerialRapist. Casanova is a sexual sadist who kidnaps women, locks them up in an underground dungeon deep in the woods so he can [[SerialRapist molest them repeatedly]]. He kills the ones who break his "rules" by tying them to a tree to die of starvation and exposure.