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Blow Out

Play trailer Poster for Blow Out R 1981 1h 48m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry (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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Blow Out

Blow Out

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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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Critics Reviews

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Eric Henderson Slant Magazine 09/09/2022
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. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 05/21/2021
5/5
A horror movie, a paranoid political drama and a serial killer flick all at once. Go to Full Review Bruce McCabe Boston Globe 04/27/2018
It's a Xerox of a movie that's nowhere near as indelible as the originals it purports to emulate. Go to Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times 07/02/2025
4/5
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. Go to Full Review Noah Berlatsky Splice Today 02/27/2025
In Blow Out, the beauty of the movie, as perhaps the beauty of life, is in its failures. Go to Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film 02/14/2023
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Danny K @king3107 Jun 15 Such a shame. Brian de Palma built tension really well and we get a classic De Palma train station jeopardy scene near the end. But in the end, too many plot holes, and a really disappointing ending. The making of the 'film' of the car crash was quite clever, but obviously flawed. Then using the actual photo's was also clever (but are we to really believe that the photographer took a stream of photo's?). The building of the tension, especially with Lithgow's character was quite nice if a little hurried. But the last 20 minutes was really rushed, and are we really to believe that Travolta can drive through the middle of a city, not be arrested, with a wire, and be left alone asleep in the back of an ambulance? And he killed someone, where did the body go? And no arrest for that? And the whole film was just for a recording of a scream. Massive wasted opportunity for a potentially brilliant film ending. See more RedApple A @RT71152999 May 17 De Palma, you went beyond Hitchcock—you even went beyond cinema itself. See more Scott D @RT07769066 May 4 Good overall. Some parts near the end are hard to believe. He drives through a parade and doesn’t get arrested? He wakes from a concussion and has no problem running around? See more Jason H @RT50328122 Apr 10 It's good for the first hour or so, but it falls apart in the second half. See more Lloyd S @Lloyd93 Mar 9 This is a really good movie! Great soundtrack as well. A must watch. See more Lucas D @Lucas.Dorner Feb 2 Good movie, great acting by John Travolta, great soundtrack, nice story however, there where still parts which felt unnecessary or dragged too much. I still really recommend this movie to everyone who likes Drama, Horror and Thriller. See more Read all reviews
Blow Out

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Cast & Crew

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Brian De Palma

Director

John Travolta

Jack Terry

Nancy Allen

Sally

John Lithgow

Burke

Dennis Franz

Manny Karp

Peter Boyden

Sam

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Blow Out

Blow Out (1981) Blow Out (1981) Blow Out (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry (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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