Body Heat

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Body Heat

R

1981

1h 53m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Shyster lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) begins a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), wife of a wealthy Florida businessman (Richard Crenna). With the help of one of his criminal clients, bomb maker Teddy Lewis (Mickey Rourke), Ned hatches a scheme to kill Matty's husband so that they can run away together with his money. But complications build upon double-crosses, launching the hapless lawyer into a situation far more treacherous than he imagined.

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Critics Consensus

Made from classic noir ingredients and flavored with a heaping helping of steamy modern spice, Body Heat more than lives up to its evocative title.

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

May 13

Body Heat is a remarkable example of pouring new wine in old bottles, not so much reinventing the noir genre as paving the way for the aesthetic excesses of the 1980s and ’90s.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

05/09/2017

There's no mistaking the fact that Kasdan loves the tawdry genre he's working in.

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Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

02/08/2008

4/5

Still regarded as one of the steamiest movie's of all time, Body Heat is a fantastic exponenet of how noir has developed.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Oct 11

'Body Heat' remains the very model of the modern neo-noir erotic thriller: sexy, sultry, brilliantly plotted, perfectly played, and endlessly repeatable.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

06/16/2025

4/5

…a few questionable plot points aside, Body Heat still stands out from the crowd by dint of the fiercely amoral characters, tricky plotting and ripe, languid atmosphere…

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Zita Short

InSession Film

02/02/2023

It is very difficult to see this as a love story when Walker and Racine are only sexually attracted to one another. Despite the fact that they frequently claim to love one another, we get a lot of evidence to the contrary.

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Allan C

@RT15713161 Jul 13

Classic film noir gets a sultry 1980s makeover Body Heat (1980) **** Body Heat brilliantly updates classic film noir for the 1980s, pairing a razor-sharp script with an irresistibly sweaty, sensual atmosphere. Kathleen Turner is magnetic in a star-making performance, and Lawrence Kasdan's stylish direction makes this one of the finest modern takes on the femme fatale. Slow at times, but undeniably seductive. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW

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sam I

@RT91825616 Jul 12

HOT !! I is just a very well done crime twist that hits you at the end, not before. Hurt and Turner are at their best. The movie just comes off as the perfect example of Florida heat and humidity as it engulfs the whole movie.The heat between the two leads was truly felt. Couldn't have been better. Worth your time.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 8

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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James M.

@RT84089297 May 26

You have no idea that this is a set up until it evolves at the end - beautiful performances by the two lead actors - Kathleen Turner is a wonderful seductress - William Hurt is perfect as the small town victim

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James A

@Droz27 May 25

The best modern noir by some measure. Incredible writing, acting, and cadence that captures the style perfectly while maintaining realism, a fine line. Every shot is gorgeous, every scene helps build the story. One of the best films of all time, watch it.

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Kathy V.

@RT64332554 Apr 4

What a good movie. Im watching a lot of older movies, better than what they are making now great thriller. Watched 2 other of William hurts movies this past week, kiss of the spider woman and Chidren of a lesser God. Just dont make movies like these anymore. Holds your interest.

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Lawrence Kasdan

Director

William Hurt

Ned Racine

Kathleen Turner

Matty Walker

Richard Crenna

Edmund Walker

Ted Danson

Peter Lowenstein

J.A. Preston

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Synopsis

Shyster lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) begins a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), wife of a wealthy Florida businessman (Richard Crenna). With the help of one of his criminal clients, bomb maker Teddy Lewis (Mickey Rourke), Ned hatches a scheme to kill Matty's husband so that they can run away together with his money. But complications build upon double-crosses, launching the hapless lawyer into a situation far more treacherous than he imagined.

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Producer: Fred T. Gallo
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co: The Ladd Company
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 28, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2008
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Mono