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Blue Steel

Blue Steel

Thriller · 1990

Rookie cop Megan Turner orders a burglar to drop his gun. He whirls to shoot. Too late. Turner fires, killing him instantly. When someone lifts the assailant's gun from the crime scene, the police hold Turner accountable for killing an unarmed man. That same someone carves Turner's name into the bullets and uses them in a series of murders. Turner teams up with detective Nick Mann to clear her name and catch the killer. But she is drawn into a deadly game of wits with a psychopath who's always one step ahead… and much closer than she thinks!

Movie details

Blue Steel

“For a rookie cop, there's one thing more dangerous than uncovering a killer's fantasy...becoming it.”

1990 Thriller 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

Rookie cop Megan Turner orders a burglar to drop his gun. He whirls to shoot. Too late. Turner fires, killing him instantly. When someone lifts the assailant's gun from the crime scene, the police hold Turner accountable for killing an unarmed man. That same someone carves Turner's name into the bullets and uses them in a series of murders. Turner teams up with detective Nick Mann to clear her name and catch the killer. But she is drawn into a deadly game of wits with a psychopath who's always one step ahead… and much closer than she thinks!

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 Blue Steel?

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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Q & A

Q & A

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The Long Kiss Goodnight

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The Siege

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The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist from his Middle East homeland leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York. An FBI senior agent and his team attempt to locate and decommission the enemy cells, but must also deal with an Army General gone rogue and a female CIA agent of uncertain loyalties.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kathryn Bigelow

Written by

Kathryn Bigelow · Eric Red

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis

Officer Megan Turner

Ron Silver

Ron Silver

Eugene Hunt

Clancy Brown

Clancy Brown

Detective Nick Mann

Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Peña

Tracy Perez

Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher

Shirley Turner

Philip Bosco

Philip Bosco

Frank Turner

Kevin Dunn

Kevin Dunn

Asst. Chief Stanley Hoyt

Court is in session

Put Blue Steel on trial.

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

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.