Steven: How's that for wet work?
A Perfect Murder (1998)
1 quote
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Starring: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, David Suchet
Continuity mistake: A few times when Emily fights with the intruder, her hair changes from being in a ponytail, to down. (00:46:30)
Trivia: Viggo Mortensen is an accomplished painter, and most of his character's paintings are his own.
Question: I've seen this movie and there's still one thing I can't figure out. Why did Steven want to kill his wife?
Answer: Along with the answers by Bishop73 and ChristmasJonesFan, I think Steven also wanted to kill Emily before she could leave him. She complained to her friend that "every single thing always has to be on his terms." As a controlling person, he would not tolerate her leaving him. This is implied during their fight at the end, when he says "I'll tell you when it's over."
Answer: Also, Emily never signed a prenup so if she dies, he gets like a hundred million bucks.
Answer: Steven needed money and his wife was worth a lot of money. She was already having an affair and was planning on leaving him. If she left, Steven could be left with nothing and still in financial troubles. By killing her before she divorces him, he'd be entitled to her wealth, plus the money from her life insurance policy.
Bishop73