What Is Women Who Kill About?
The premise of Women Who Kill in 241 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the bustling streets of New York City, two former lovers turn their shared fascination with true‑crime lore into a popular podcast that delves into the psychology of female killers. Morgan and Jean navigate the quirks of co‑hosting while still feeling the pull of their unresolved past, their banter equal parts sharp wit and uneasy introspection. Their show, a mix of investigative curiosity and dark comedy, has earned them a devoted audience that hangs on every twist of their storytelling.
When Morgan begins volunteering at a neighborhood food co‑op, she encounters a striking newcomer whose presence stirs both intrigue and unease. The mystery deepens as Jean’s lingering suspicions clash with Morgan’s growing curiosity, prompting the duo to question what lies beneath the surface of the people they meet. Their dynamic—simultaneously supportive and competitive—creates a lively tension that drives the narrative forward, keeping listeners and viewers alike guessing which truth will surface next.
Around them, a tight‑knit circle of friends adds layers of humor and perspective. Alex, the ever‑enthusiastic best friend, and Kim, her partner, bring moments of levity that contrast with the darker undercurrents of the podcast’s content. The New York setting itself becomes a character, its eclectic energy mirroring the duo’s blend of observational comedy and the unsettling allure of true crime. As the story unfolds, the audience is invited to witness how Morgan and Jean balance their personal histories with the compelling, sometimes uncomfortable, world they dissect on air.
What Happens in Women Who Kill?
The complete story of Women Who Kill, from the first scene to the last, in 636 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Morgan and Jean, exes who are local icons for their popular true crime podcast about female killers, continue to live and work together even after their breakup (as themselves, Amy Schumer and Nikki Glaser).
While volunteering at a food co-op, Morgan meets Simone, a mysterious dark-haired woman who gives her a number. Morgan begins dating Simone, drawn by a magnetism that feels both exhilarating and dangerous. Not long after, the lead organizer of the co-op, Grace, is found dead, and Simone is one of the last people seen with her. Jean, always wary of Simone, starts digging into Simone’s past and uncovers that Simone’s real name is Allison Walker. When she shares this with Morgan and plays back an old podcast interview that features a serial killer, Josephine “The Clipper” Walker, the seeds of doubt take root.
At first, Morgan resists Jean’s suspicions, but fear quietly chips away at her certainty. Unsettling incidents accumulate: Morgan wakes to the sound of a fire alarm Simone triggers in the kitchen, later finding a burnt fragment of a passport photo. A tense late-night scene reveals Simone in an anxious state, clipping her nails aggressively and even attempting to clip Morgan’s nails. The next day, Morgan reports these oddities to Jean, who intensifies her research and becomes convinced that Simone is more dangerous than Morgan realized.
The tension intensifies at a best friend’s bachelorette party when Morgan looks after Alex, who is deeply intoxicated. Simone spends the night at Kim’s bachelorette party, while Morgan discovers a mysterious box in Simone’s home. Inside are an elaborate nail grooming kit and boxes filled with nail clippings bearing the names of six girls killed by “The Clipper.” The discovery sends Morgan into a panic, and she returns to Jean’s apartment to share what she found. The following morning, Kim arrives with alarming news: Alex is missing. The fear of a murder plot tightens its grip.
The two women decide to stalk Simone, hoping she will lead them to Alex’s body. Instead, they stumble upon Alex herself—shockingly alive. Alex accuses the pair of orchestrating a story to justify spending time together, given their unresolved feelings for one another. Morgan and Jean deny the accusation, but the tension between them remains unresolved as they drift apart again.
Later, Morgan visits Jean, only to learn that Jean’s new boyfriend has found out about their stakeout and asks what happened at the co-op. At the co-op, Morgan discovers an unconscious Jean. Simone claims she fell, but Morgan misreads the situation and, in a moment of fear, grabs a knife from the nail kit to defend herself. Simone asks, “What if I told you I did kill those people?” and presses Morgan to choose a path toward a life together. She reaches for Morgan in a hopeful embrace, but tragedy strikes: she accidentally impales herself on Morgan’s knife. Jean stirs and witnesses that Simone was not the killer; it was a misperception that tipped the scales.
Leaving the co-op, Morgan encounters another member and explains the blood-soaked sweater by saying she “hurt some people.” As Morgan walks away, the podcast between Morgan and Jean—now a clash over whether the killings could be self-defense—plays in the background. They decide to poll their listeners, inviting feedback on whether the act was justified.
The film closes with a pointed meditation on the lives behind the microphones: Morgan and Jean spend their days dissecting others’ horrific acts, yet the story quietly questions how detached they can be from the real people who bear the consequences of their storytelling. The final moments suggest that, for all their obsession with crime and motive, they may be overlooking how the subjects of their podcast truly feel. The line between truth and entertainment blurs, leaving viewers to consider the ethical cost of profit from real-life tragedy.
Women Who Kill Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Morgan and Jean's successful true crime podcast and shared professional life” to “Aftermath and podcasting the truth”. 11 events name a place, across 9 locations.
- 1
Morgan and Jean's successful true crime podcast and shared professional life
Morgan and Jean are popular hosts of a local true crime podcast focusing on female killers. They continue to live and work together professionally despite ending their romantic relationship. Their professional partnership remains the anchor of their lives.
- 2
Morgan meets Simone at the food co-op
While volunteering at the food co-op, Morgan meets Simone, who gives her phone number. The two begin dating, bringing a new, potentially dangerous dynamic into Morgan's life. The attraction draws Morgan deeper into a web of suspicion.
When:During volunteering at the food co-op Where:Food co-op
- 3
Grace's death and Simone's last sighting
Grace, the lead organizer at the co-op, is found dead, with Simone among the last people to see her alive. Jean's suspicions about Simone intensify as she investigates. The mounting concern marks the first clear hint of a possible killer in their midst.
When:After Grace's death Where:Food co-op
- 4
Jean uncovers Simone's real name
Jean digs into Simone's past and uncovers that her real name is Allison Walker. This revelation deepens Morgan's unease as the possibility that Simone is someone else entirely becomes more credible. Jean shares her findings with Morgan, widening the rift between them.
When:Following Grace's death Where:Jean's apartment
- 5
Podcast confrontation reveals the killer's shadow
Jean confronts Morgan with the information and has her listen to an old podcast interview with the serial killer Josephine The Clipper Walker and the killer's remorse for the harm her crimes caused to her daughter Ally. The revelation deepens the tension between them and makes Morgan question Simone more seriously. Morgan's fear begins to override her skepticism as the mystery thickens.
When:After confronting Morgan with new information Where:Morgan's home
- 6
Morgan fears Simone's odd behavior
Morgan's fear of Simone escalates as she experiences odd behaviors, including Simone setting off a kitchen fire alarm and finding a burnt passport photo fragment the next day. She notices Simone's anxious nail clipping and a disturbing fixation emerging. The sense of danger grows as Morgan's trust erodes.
When:Night after the alarm incident Where:Morgan's kitchen / home
- 7
Nail obsession hints at danger
Morgan notices Simone's nail obsession and an attempt to clip Morgan's nails. Jean has begun to doubt that Simone is the killer, influencing Morgan's perspective. Morgan's fears and Jean's evolving view create friction between the partners.
When:Following the nail incidents Where:Morgan's home
- 8
Box of nails and six names
After attending her best friend Alex's bachelorette party, Morgan discovers a mysterious box at Simone's house containing a nail grooming kit and nail clippings with the six names of murdered girls. The chilling evidence confirms a killer motif and raises the stakes for Morgan's safety. Morgan decides to warn Jean about the discovery.
When:After Alex's bachelorette party Where:Simone's house
- 9
Alex missing; pursuit to find her
The morning after the party, Kim reports that Alex is missing. Morgan and Jean begin stalking Simone to uncover Alex's fate, hoping for answers. They instead encounter Alex alive, who accuses them of spinning a fantasy to justify their pursuit of drama.
When:The morning after Alex's party Where:Nearby the co-op / streets
- 10
Jean unconscious; Morgan suspects harm
Morgan visits Jean's apartment and learns Jean's new boyfriend says she went to the co-op with Simone. Morgan finds Jean unconscious on the ground; Simone claims Jean fell on her own. Morgan grips a knife, preparing to defend herself as danger tightens around them.
When:Next morning Where:Jean's apartment / co-op vicinity
- 11
Confrontation at the co-op ends in tragedy
Simone asks Morgan what if I told you I did kill those people and hints at a life together. In the ensuing struggle, Simone accidentally impales herself on Morgan's knife. Jean regains consciousness to witness that Simone was innocent, and Morgan realizes she may have harmed the wrong person.
When:During the tense confrontation at the co-op Where:The co-op
- 12
Aftermath and podcasting the truth
Morgan leaves the co-op with a blood-stained sweater and reflects on the events. The final scene centers on their podcast as they debate whether the killings were self-defense, deciding to poll their listeners for opinions. The film closes on the note that they live in a world where they dissociate from the victims as they profit from the stories.
When:After the confrontation Where:Street / podcast studio
Who Are the Main Characters in Women Who Kill?
5 characters, among them Morgan, Jean and Simone (Allison Walker): who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- M
Morgan
An alluring host of a popular true crime podcast, Morgan's life blends romantic entanglements with professional ambition. She rekindles a romance with Simone and becomes increasingly wary as odd behaviors surface. Her fear escalates after discovering a nail grooming kit and a box of nail clippings tied to past murders, pushing her toward a defensive stance.
- 🔎 Suspicion
- 🎙️ Podcast
- 💔 Romance
- J
Jean
Morgan's ex who remains cautious and investigative, she distrusts Simone from the start and digs into her past. Her relentless research drives the duo toward dangerous discoveries, including the alias Allison Walker. Her actions strain loyalties and culminate in a tense confrontation that tests their friendship.
- 🕵️♀️ Investigator
- 📚 Research
- 💔 Loyalty
- S(
Simone (Allison Walker)
A mysterious and alluring figure whose presence destabilizes Morgan. She is linked to Grace's death as one of the last people seen with her, and the revelation of her alias hints at a shadowy past. Her calm, enigmatic manner masks manipulation and ambiguity, and the climax ties her fate to Morgan in a shocking twist.
- 🔮 Manipulator
- 🧩 Mystery
- 💀 Danger
- G
Grace
The lead organizer of the food co-op whose murder sets the plot in motion. Grace's death draws Morgan and Jean into a web of suspicion around Simone and the community spaces where they operate. Her absence underscores the peril lurking in supposedly safe, familiar places.
- 🗝️ Organizer
- 🔪 Victim
- 🏷️ Community
- A
Alex
Morgan's best friend who hosts a wild bachelorette party, later missing and then found alive. Alex's disappearance becomes a catalyst for the investigation and a reminder of how easily someone can vanish within the story's circle of trust.
- 🎉 Friend
- 🧭 Mystery
- 🟣 Drama
Where and When Is Women Who Kill Set?
Women Who Kill is set in Food Co-op, Morgan's apartment and Jean's apartment. Here is why the place matters to the story.
When
Set in a contemporary present, the story relies on current dating rituals, social media, and podcast culture to propel its suspense. Technology and media shape how characters gather information, spin narratives, and judge one another. The timeframe feels current, with familiar routines like bachelorette parties and cozy home life giving contrast to the mounting tension.
Where
Food Co-op, Morgan's apartment, Jean's apartment
The film unfolds largely around a local food co-op, a community hub that becomes the center of suspicion and gossip. Morgan and Jean's shared spaces—Morgan's apartment and Jean's apartment—also serve as intimate backdrops where their relationship and podcast intersect with danger. These everyday locations ground the thriller in a realistic, modern urban setting.
- 🧭 Mystery
- 🎭 Drama
- 🏙️ Contemporary
What Are the Themes of Women Who Kill?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Obsession, Betrayal and Media Power.
-
01
Obsession
Opening the investigation into Simone, the film shows how Morgan and Jean's obsession with true crime consumes their personal lives. The podcast world blurs fact and fiction, turning murder into entertainment for listeners. The clippings, interviews, and past cases become tools for controlling reality, with dangerous consequences. The film cautions that fascination with killers can distort empathy for real victims.
-
02
Betrayal
Trust fractures as suspicions shift between Morgan, Jean, and Simone. Jean's relentless research tests the boundary between protection and invasion of privacy. The unresolved feelings between Morgan and Jean complicate loyalties as suspicion about Simone grows.
-
03
Media Power
The true crime podcast is not only a backdrop but a mechanism that drives the plot and public reaction. Listeners' polls and online discourse become a battlefield that sways decisions and blurs accountability. The film critiques profiting from tragedy and the distance between creators and the real people affected by their stories.
What Kind of Film Is Women Who Kill?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A steadily unnerving dark comedy that follows two ex-partners as their true crime obsession bleeds into their personal lives, creating a tense atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia with a bittersweet, morally ambiguous conclusion.
- suspenseful
- dark humor
- anxious
- paranoid
- unsettling
- reflective
- true crime
- podcasting
- unhealthy relationships
- misplaced suspicion
Content notes: murder, death, psychological manipulation.
Quiz
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