Dressed to Kill

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Dressed to Kill

R

1980

1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police think Liz is the murderer, the real killer wants to silence the crime's only witness. Only Kate's inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.

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Critics Consensus

With arresting visuals and an engrossingly lurid mystery, Dressed to Kill stylishly encapsulates writer-director Brian De Palma's signature strengths.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

De Palma shows the kind of restless intelligence which suggests that he will want to work in many different forms, and certainly he needs more chances to work on a larger scale... But he doesn’t have to move away from thrillers to prove he’s an artist.

Sep 18, 2023

Full Review

Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

Dressed To Kill is a nail-biting, seat-squirming, stylish murder mystery with a brain.

Apr 28, 2018

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Originality has never been a high value in the genre-bound aesthetic of filmmaking, but De Palma cheapens what he steals.

Sep 26, 2007

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

An eyebrow-raising performance from Michael Caine keeps this clever shocker moving along nicely, and De Palma's brilliant sleight-of-hand direction pulls out all the suspense stops, providing some unforgettable jolts.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 2, 2025

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

De Palma at the top of his game, with some masterfully edited and scored sequences that still hold up by modern standards.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 11, 2023

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Exquisitely directed by DePalma and bearing the key signifiers of a prototypical Erotic Thriller, Dressed to Kill does contribute to the problematic depiction of trans women as killers, though it's not as influential as Psycho or The Silence of The Lambs

Rated: 4/5

Sep 6, 2023

Full Review

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Jack F

That opening scene though...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

Full Review

Constantine N

Cheesy, and the majority of scenes are drawn out and have little meaning towards the plot. For example, the art museum scene: why is 10 minutes spent on cat/mouse chasing, no words spoken... The director thinks the viewers are dense and tries to explain thoughts and emotions through what feels like endless scenes. The missing underwear. The missing ring. The cop on the subway. The young boy is supposed to be Inspector Gadget? with listening devices, cameras, and inventing a "new circuit"... all attempts to solve his mother's murder? It's almost a comedy how cringy some scenes are.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

Full Review

Ed .

He's no lady, and she's a tramp who is as savvy with her investments as she is with her clients. De Palma's film makes a smooth transition from a slasher to a sleek and stylish neo noir murder mystery. While audience and critics were wondering what's it all about with Michael Caine and Angie Dickinson, I think Dennis Franz deserves high praise for his straight-talking New Yorker cop who pulls no punches. Finally, do you think Angie's date got in any legal trouble for reckless endangerment?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

Full Review

Vincent S.

Nancy Allen is outstanding again!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/18/25

Full Review

Rami A

The Hitchcock influence plays a significant role in this film. Brian De Palma is clearly a fan of Hitchcock and draws inspiration from his talent as he blends well-crafted horror, thriller, and mystery elements. I wouldn't compare this to Hitchcock's Psycho, but I'll say it's a compelling homage to the classic film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Alejandro E

One of director De Palma's early efforts. A fairly functional thriller that clearly draws inspiration from the classic Psycho. Above all, for the performances, it's never too late to discover it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

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Brian De Palma

Director

Michael Caine

Doctor Robert Elliott

Angie Dickinson

Kate Miller

Nancy Allen

Liz Blake

Keith Gordon

Peter Miller

Dennis Franz

Detective Marino

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Museum Encounter

4:24

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Seducing Dr. Elliott

2:16

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - You're Not a Psycho

2:10

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Subway Chase

2:43

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Watching Phil Donahue

2:11

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Transsexuality

2:37

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Murder on an Elevator

3:13

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Shower Nightmare

2:07

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Behind You!

1:46

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Synopsis

When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police think Liz is the murderer, the real killer wants to silence the crime's only witness. Only Kate's inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: George Litto
Screenwriter: Brian De Palma
Distributor: GoodTimes Home Video [us], Warner Home Vídeo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: Filmways Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 23, 1980, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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