Body Heat

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Body Heat

R

1981

1h 53m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

49 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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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

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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

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

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

Oct 11, 2025

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…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…

Rated: 4/5

Jun 16, 2025

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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

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Randy M

A masterpeace of Flim Noir

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/24/25

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Rami A

Lawrence Kasdan may be a good screenwriter, but he's not a very good director. A lot of this movie didn't seem to work out and the plot isn't that interesting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

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Ed B

I wouldn't say it's steamy by modern standards, but it's hot throughout the movie rather than the usual rain in noir and that femme fatal!! We enjoyed it even though it's an older movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/01/25

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Tim M

Lawrence Kasdan channels prime noir tones in Body Heat, a supremely sensual and tense thriller that'll make you sweat through and through.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/26/25

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Audience Member

Watching this in 2025. It's really good. A twisted femme fatale movie of the highest order. Great acting and the story was exceptional AND original. An easy keeper for your movie collection.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

Full Review

Leaburn O

Fantastically acted and gripping noir. Hurt and Turner are both excellent and the production is so atmospheric. The script is tight and compelling with good twists, even when predictable. Watched on DVD.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/24

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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

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