Blue Steel

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1:03

Blue Steel

R

1990

1h 42m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

36%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When rookie cop Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) kills a convenience store robber, she does not notice when psychopathic commodities trader Eugene Hunt (Ron Silver) takes the dead man's gun. With no weapon at the crime scene, the police hold Turner accountable for killing an unarmed man. Meanwhile, Hunt uses the stolen weapon to go on a killing spree. Turner teams up with detective Nick Mann (Clancy Brown) to clear her name and catch the killer. An unexpected romance complicates matters.

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Critics Consensus

Blue Steel's increasingly over-the-top story beggars disbelief, but this cop drama is elevated by an appealing cast and Kathryn Bigelow's stylish direction.

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Roxana Hadadi

Crooked Marquee

What Blue Steel captured was a certain moment in the 1990s when the psychosexual thriller reigned supreme, with a blending of sensuality and menace.

Mar 25, 2020

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Blue Steel turns into yet another movie about Jamie Lee Curtis bravely fighting off a bogeyman. It's Halloween 1990. Still, Bigelow's talent cuts through in flashes.

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Short on plausibility but preserving the psycho-sexual ambiguities throughout, Bigelow's seductively stylish, wildy fetishistic thriller is proof that a woman can enter a traditionally male world and, like Megan, beat men at their own game.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

This cop drama leans into all the tropes of the typical 1990s psychosexual thriller, while also turning some on their head.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 19, 2025

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Kathryn Bigelow has realized a film where not one frame lacks interest. [Full review in Spanish]

Nov 2, 2022

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...interrogates the notion of gun worship, all within the confines of a shoot-em-up police thriller.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 19, 2022

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Sam S

Much like Katherine Bigelow and Eric Red’s prior film Near Dark, Blue Steel starts out as one kind of movie and then transitions into almost something else entirely. Yes, the script is sometimes ridiculous and characters make questionable choices. The protagonist isn’t supposed to be all that competent though. Her reckless behavior is kind of the point.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/14/25

Full Review

Johanna B

I’m a huge fan of all the actors in the movie. The acting was great, but this movie was probably one of Jamie Lee Curtis’ worst movies. Her character, Megan, and some of the males around her made ridiculous decisions. It could have been a great movie if some of the mistakes made weren’t so egregious.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

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J H

A very stylish movie with a very poor script. Example: revolvers don't eject shell casings!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

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Thomas G

Where do u start. Nobody saw a gun? Worse after that

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

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Stoner J

Kathryn Bigelow has been a natural from the jump! This is a great old school suspense movie from start to finish. I wish she’d do another like it, although it’s not like any of her movies suck or anything, ever!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

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Rolf G

A standard 90s psycho thriller with too many plot holes and too much improbable behaviour. The final action scene is just ridiculous. The star cast made it to the end but don't recommend anyone else bother.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

Full Review

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Kathryn Bigelow

Director

Jamie Lee Curtis

Megan Turner

Ron Silver

Eugene Hunt

Clancy Brown

Nick Mann

Elizabeth Peña

Tracy Perez

Louise Fletcher

Shirley Turner

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Blue Steel: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When rookie cop Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) kills a convenience store robber, she does not notice when psychopathic commodities trader Eugene Hunt (Ron Silver) takes the dead man's gun. With no weapon at the crime scene, the police hold Turner accountable for killing an unarmed man. Meanwhile, Hunt uses the stolen weapon to go on a killing spree. Turner teams up with detective Nick Mann (Clancy Brown) to clear her name and catch the killer. An unexpected romance complicates matters.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Edward R. Pressman, Oliver Stone
Screenwriter: Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red
Production Co: Vestron Pictures, Precision Films, Lightning Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.7M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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