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Body Double

Body Double

Crime · Mystery · Thriller · 1984

After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful home's telescope one night, he spies a gorgeous woman dancing in her window. But when he witnesses the girl's murder, it leads Scully through the netherworld of the adult entertainment industry on a search for answers—with porn actress Holly Body as his guide.

Movie details

Body Double

“You can't believe everything you see.”

1984 Crime · Mystery · Thriller 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful home's telescope one night, he spies a gorgeous woman dancing in her window. But when he witnesses the girl's murder, it leads Scully through the netherworld of the adult entertainment industry on a search for answers—with porn actress Holly Body as his guide.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Body Double?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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8MM

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Brian De Palma

Written by

Robert J. Avrech · Brian De Palma

Craig Wasson

Craig Wasson

Jake Scully

Melanie Griffith

Melanie Griffith

Holly Body

Gregg Henry

Gregg Henry

Sam Bouchard

Deborah Shelton

Deborah Shelton

Gloria Revelle

Guy Boyd

Guy Boyd

Det. Jim McLean

Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz

Rubin

David Haskell

David Haskell

Drama Teacher

Court is in session

Put Body Double on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.