Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
4/4
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 03/25/2023
Part "Rear Window," part "The Conversation," Brian De Palma's conspiracy nail-biter is an experience for both the eyes and the ears.
Rating of
3/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 09/03/2019
The tone is suspenseful and it doesn't take shortcuts. John Travolta is good as the resourceful protagonist who stumbles onto a conspiracy that's way over his head. Nancy Allen was a little annoying. John Lithgow is appropriately creepy. For each good scare or intriguing plot development, it does drag in sections.
Rating of
2.5/4
SIngli6 - wrote on 06/27/2017
There is something about Brian De Palma’s work that I find very off-putting. The man possesses undeniable talent, as can be plainly observed by how artfully he uses the foreground and background to block his characters in both this film and the great majority of his other works, but he’s also schlocky, dated, and just really creepy (and not in a good way). ‘Blowout’ stands out to me as one of the schlockiest, most dated, and most creepy films he has ever directed, and though I loved a lot of the shots and some of the 'subtle' homages to the great Alfred Hitchcock (not to mention those to the film's namesake 'Blow-Up'), I feel a strong compulsion to never watch this film again.
Rating of
1.5/4
Yojimbo - wrote on 09/17/2012
Brian De Palma conspiracy thriller starring John Travolta before he was cool. Some decent ideas but generally dated and cheap looking.
Rating of
3/4
mitchellyoung - wrote on 08/20/2012
In a tour de force of editing, camera angles, and other visual tricks, Brian De Palma crafts a tense and inventive crime thriller. All the pieces fit together here, led by strong performances from Travolta and Nancy Allen. Dennis Franz and a creepy John Lithgow round out an impressive supporting cast. The film manages to adopt a gritty, arthouse film style, while still working as a coherent and engaging thriller.
Rating of
4/4
Unknown - wrote on 05/14/2012
Superbly entertaining thriller. The greatly intriguing story sets up some effectively tense and paranoid scenes. The use of sound is impeccable and the directing is some of De Palma's most visually stimulating. The finale carries an emotional weight and a clever bit of irony. Anyone who watches films for the directing or technical aspects will have a lot to study here. I loved it!
