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Blow Out

Blow Out

Crime · Mystery · Thriller · 1981

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally from the car, but the other passenger is already dead — a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

Movie details

Blow Out

“Murder has a sound all of its own.”

1981 Crime · Mystery · Thriller 1h 48m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally from the car, but the other passenger is already dead — a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

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 Blow Out?

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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Brian De Palma

Written by

Brian De Palma · Bill Mesce Jr.

John Travolta

John Travolta

Jack Terry

Nancy Allen

Nancy Allen

Sally Badina

John Lithgow

John Lithgow

Burke

Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz

Manny Karp

Peter Boyden

Peter Boyden

Sam

J

John Aquino

Det. Mackey

John McMartin

John McMartin

Lawrence Henry

Court is in session

Put Blow Out 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.