Body Double

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Body Double

R

Released Oct 26, 1984

1h 49m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful home's telescope one night, he spies a gorgeous blonde (Deborah Shelton) dancing in her window. But when he witnesses the girl's murder, it leads Scully through the netherworld of the adult entertainment industry on a search for answers -- with porn actress Holly Body (Melanie Griffith) as his guide.

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Critics Consensus

Exemplifying Brian De Palma's filmmaking bravura and polarizing taste, Body Double is a salacious love letter to moviemaking.

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Christy Lemire

ChristyLemire.com

It's an expertly crafted B-movie, a brisk and twisty mixture of the slick and sleazy, the glossy and grungy.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 18, 2018

Full Review

Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

... "Body Double" finds Brian De Palma at the zenith of his cinematic virtuosity.

Jan 4, 2018

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

Body Double, while not his finest, is the best candidate as Brian De Palma's signature film.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 29, 2006

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

As modern audiences tend to hem and haw over titillation, now seems like a good time to remember that it’s ok to watch, just maybe not get involved (without consent, of course).

Sep 26, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

As a murder mystery, 'Body Double' is absurdly elaborate and at times simply absurd. As a piece of filmmaking, it is delirious.

Sep 22, 2024

Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

The plot keeps putting you with Jake as he flails ineffectually, frozen outside of the narrative, just like the viewer.

Jul 16, 2023

Full Review

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Alain E

Has some interesting campy stuff, but overall not a great movie. Some items are hard to explain: in the beginning after the very long chase ends the hero, who otherwise appears a healthy young man, is unable to walk on his own and has to lean on the woman he is peeping on. DePalma offers interesting visual elements, including partial female nudity. There are better movies with these characteristics.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

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Jeffery Charles N

I'm not sure which is worse, the acting or the story. The acting is forced and wooden, but the story is just so stupid it's hard to believe this got made for any other reason than a chance to have a lot of nudity on screen. The traffic stop scene at the end is one of the all time dumbest things I have ever seen on film. It's up there with the "Martha scene" in BVS. This film is horrible.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/24

Full Review

Ray B

The movie is one of those movies where everyone else loves it but you're feeling like WTF did I just watch. You will be utterly confused by the last ten minutes and have no clue what you just watched.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

Full Review

Farah R

As a fan of De Palma, I was shocked at how little his distinctive cinematography and intricate writing are present in Body Double. The film is dull from the get-go as it lacks an exciting mystery and characters. It also missed De Palma's usual unconventional way of unfolding his film's plots.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/14/24

Full Review

Sams K

Interesting and entertaining, some holes in the screenplay but still a good entertaining movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/30/24

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Jody S

For it's time very intriguing and entertaining !

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

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Brian De Palma

Director

Craig Wasson

Jake Scully

Melanie Griffith

Holly Body

Gregg Henry

Sam Bouchard

Deborah Shelton

Gloria Revelle

Guy Boyd

Det. Jim McLean

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Body Double: Official Clip - Porn Star vs. Hollywood Actress

1:41

Body Double: Official Clip - Relax, P*rno Scene

1:53

Body Double: Official Clip - Who's The Creepy Stalker?

2:59

Body Double: Official Clip - Buried Alive

4:42

Body Double: Official Clip - Spying on the Sexy Neighbor

1:51

Body Double: Official Clip - How to Flirt With a Porn Star

2:59

Body Double: Official Clip - Wild Make-Out Sesh

3:17

Body Double: Official Clip - Purse Thief Chase

2:51

Body Double: Official Clip - Brutal Open Grave Fight

1:49

Body Double: Official Clip - Bloody Power Drill Kill

2:36

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Synopsis

After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful home's telescope one night, he spies a gorgeous blonde (Deborah Shelton) dancing in her window. But when he witnesses the girl's murder, it leads Scully through the netherworld of the adult entertainment industry on a search for answers -- with porn actress Holly Body (Melanie Griffith) as his guide.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: Brian De Palma
Screenwriter: Robert J. Avrech, Brian De Palma
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi II
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 3, 2010
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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