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Body Heat

Play trailer Poster for Body Heat R Released Aug 28, 1981 1h 53m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 47 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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Body Heat

Body Heat

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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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Critics Reviews

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Gary Arnold Washington Post There's no mistaking the fact that Kasdan loves the tawdry genre he's working in. May 9, 2017 Full Review Ian Nathan Empire Magazine Still regarded as one of the steamiest movie's of all time, Body Heat is a fantastic exponenet of how noir has developed. Rated: 4/5 Feb 8, 2008 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Lawrence Kasdan's 1981 noir fable is highly derivative in its overall conception, but it finds some freshness in its details. Feb 8, 2008 Full Review Zita Short InSession Film 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. Feb 2, 2023 Full Review Michael Clark Epoch Times Kasdan’s first feature showed a veteran’s level of assurance and confidence. From the writing to the direction to the character arcs to the crack ensemble performances, “Body Heat” is one of the finest examples of film noir ever made. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 11, 2022 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia In his directorial debut, Kasdan crafted an erotic thriller that, in addition to building a low-key homage to film noir, lights up the screen like a cigarette butt with hot performances from William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 7/10 Dec 18, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Craig L Inspired by Double Indemnity, this noir favorite stands the test of time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Dallas H Neo-noir in peak form. Its director, Lawrence Kasdan, proves he can step away from the writer's desk long enough to helm a movie production and not just write the story for it. I love the hauntingly mellow jazz music composed by John Barry. Another highlight of the movie I got a kick out of here is the appearance of Ted Danson and a baby-faced Mickey Rourke in supporting roles. I liked this flick and plan to watch it again in the future. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/24 Full Review Alec C Feel the heat of this sultry and spicy thriller of passion, betrayal and murder! Trapped in an affair that turns deadly, our protagonist gets roped into a devious scheme that could end with him imprisoned and on death row. We all watch as he goes deeper and deeper with the threat of betrayal growing nearer! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/16/23 Full Review j f South Florida never changes Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/05/23 Full Review Jack t You know guys, I gotta tell you, this movie is great. Everything about this movie is done perfect! It takes thrills, chills and William Hurt and Kathleen Turner is in it. But there is one problem for me. Ted Danson is not comedic but the hell with it. That's okay. Take what's worth watching. You gonna like it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/29/23 Full Review Ben D Body Heat takes the idea of legal malpractice ruining your life to a new level. It's the early 1980s, but we're already seeing the seeds sown for the opulence and greed that will define a decade. It's summer in a part of inland Florida that feels like a different world from Miami, Key West, or even the raucousness of Panama City Beach. I loved that everyone is sweating, all the time, even at night. The only likable characters are Assistant Deputy Prosecutor Lowenstein (Ted Danson), Detective Grace (J.A. Preston), and Teddy (Mickey Rourke), who is a gearhead and seems to frequently be in trouble with the law but is very good-looking. The love triangle of Ned (William Hurt), Matty (Kathleen Turner), and Edmund (Richard Crenna), Matty's husband, all range from unlikeable to loathsome. Edmund is a developer constantly away on business who leaves behind his beautiful wife to meander in their Mudejar-styled mansion in the steamy swamps of Florida. Matty frequents local establishments and, ostensibly, stumbles upon Ned, a handsome private attorney who loves to jog and not take "NO" for an answer. The plot is full of steamy sex scenes and cigarette smoke. When Ned and Matty aren't lying on top of each other in a wonderfully 1980s black bathtub, they're contriving the machinations to perhaps murder Edmund so Matty would inherit half or all of his fortune — the difference splinters a wedge between the clandestine lovers. I remember reading a blurb from this movie included in my Wills, Trusts, and Estates textbook in law school, but besides my professor explaining that the attorney had screwed up a will, I couldn't remember what he had actually done. But Gotdamn do I appreciate any movie that uses the Rule Against Perpetuities as a plot device! Body Heat is a sweat-soaked noir, twisty and entertaining, the kind of movie that you just don't see much of anymore. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

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
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