Blow Out

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Blow Out

R

Released Jul 24, 1981

1h 48m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri (John Travolta) stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally (Nancy Allen) from the car, but the other passenger is already dead -- a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

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Critics Consensus

With a story inspired by Antonioni's Blow Up and a style informed by the high-gloss suspense of Hitchcock, DePalma's Blow Out is raw, politically informed, and littered with film references.

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

It’s the death of the ‘60s and ‘70s that haunts Blow Out and has arguably inflated its reputation among those incapable of recognizing anything good in, say, The Fury.

Sep 9, 2022

Full Review

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

A horror movie, a paranoid political drama and a serial killer flick all at once.

Rated: 5/5

May 21, 2021

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Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

It's a Xerox of a movie that's nowhere near as indelible as the originals it purports to emulate.

Apr 27, 2018

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

Nothing is what it seems in a paranoid mystery that's overflowing with De Palma's trademark high style and cinematic technique right up until the knockout, downbeat ending.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 2, 2025

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

In Blow Out, the beauty of the movie, as perhaps the beauty of life, is in its failures.

Feb 27, 2025

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Blow Out is among the top movies about moviemaking because it uses sound so cleverly and as the driving force to investigating what happened and the danger the lurks for his snooping.

Feb 14, 2023

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 48 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

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Carlos I

Blow Out isn't just a film, it's arguably Brian De Palma's finest hour, a true Hitchcockian masterpiece that keeps you on the edge of your seat with every frame. John Travolta delivers a career-defining performance as the sound engineer who stumbles upon a conspiracy, and De Palma's masterful direction builds an almost unbearable tension. The tragic wrap-up, a genuine chef's kiss of an ending, elevates the entire experience to something truly unforgettable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/22/25

Full Review

Alfie M

Blow Out features an unbelievable score that is the best part of the film (not an insult) and is beautifully crafted. While I'm not a huge fan of Brian De Palma this film is a very good thriller and totally unpredictable. Blow Out is a really depressing film and it's one I'll totally love more on the re-watch, John Travolta never gets old for me man most likely my favourite actor. Oh man the credits rolling reminds me of how much emotion is in the score it's actually beautiful, my only negativity towards this film is the incredibly slow middle, the opening incredible, ending most definitely amazing but the middle... Not so much. The script for Blow Out is amazing I feel like I like De Palmas scripts more than his directoral work. I do really enjoy and can appreciate this film and I don't know if I'm depressed or relieved after seeing the end, overall Blow Out will be most definitely better one I come around to. One of my favourite endings from the 80s for sure.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

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Scott M

It has some moments of intrigue at the beginning. But it didn't hold my attention. Nancy Allen is awful. Travolta is the only reason I watched until the end. The story just isn't strong enough to care, and the dialog is really terrible most of the time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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JOEY B

Fascinating how the movie is directed around sound. An all time great John Travolta performance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/02/25

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Jonathan O

Really thrilling conspiracy suspense film with two original cast members from 1976 Carrie returns including some of the crew from Carrie and Dressed to Kill and what Brain De Palma did really fantastic filmmaker he shows the magic of sound and editing and the secrets of cinema and really great cinematography and editing and the writing is good but the last act felt like "oh is that it" either that is really great thriller.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/11/24

Full Review

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Brian De Palma

Director

John Travolta

Jack Terry

Nancy Allen

Sally

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Synopsis

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri (John Travolta) stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally (Nancy Allen) from the car, but the other passenger is already dead -- a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: George Litto
Screenwriter: Brian De Palma
Production Co: Filmways Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 24, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2017
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Surround

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