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Dressed to Kill
1980 105 min United States of America R 16+
★7.2
Thriller, Mystery, Horror
Director: Brian De Palma
Trailers
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Teaser
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Description
After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.
Budget:
$6.5M
US Gross:
$31.9M
Worldwide:
$31.9M
Starring
Michael Caine
Actor
Angie Dickinson
Actor
Nancy Allen
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Horror Film
Golden Globe 1981
— Breakthrough of the Year
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Original Score
Razzie Awards 1981
— Worst Actor
Razzie Awards 1981
— Worst Actress
Razzie Awards 1981
— Worst Director
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Director
Key opinion
Dressed to Kill is a stylish, Hitchcock-inspired thriller that divides audiences through its blend of suspenseful, virtuoso camerawork and controversial, overtly sexualized content. While many critics praise Brian De Palma’s atmospheric tension and bold direction, others find the film structurally uneven and tonally excessive.
| Direction | Brian De Palma’s direction delivers masterfully crafted suspense through extended, tension-filled sequences like the art gallery scene. | |
| Score | Pino Donaggio’s score is widely recognized as a key element in sustaining the film’s atmosphere and Hitchcockian homage. | |
| Theme | The film’s overt eroticism and psychosexual themes are praised for their psychological depth by some, while others dismiss them as gratuitous or "trashy." | |
| Acting | Opinions on the acting are split: some find the performances charismatic and perfectly suited to the material, while others describe them as unremarkable or question their quality. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is polarizing, with some viewers captivated by the slow-burn, atmospheric setup and others finding the first half to be a sluggish drag. | |
| Ending | The ending is viewed as a contentious element, with some appreciating its dream-like, self-homaging nature while others criticize it as abrupt or structurally flawed. |