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Watch Dressed to Kill (1980) for Free | Public Domain Classic Movie | Film Atlas

Dressed to Kill

1980US105 min

thriller mystery horror

Dressed to Kill

After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.

Directed byBrian De Palma

Written byBrian De Palma

Budget$6.5 million

Critical Consensus

7.0

IMDb

74

Metacritic

7.0

TMDB

Dressed to Kill received polarized reviews from critics upon its release, with some hailing it as a masterpiece while others dismissed it entirely. It holds an 83% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 'generally favorable' 74/100 on Metacritic.

The Cast

Michael Caine

Doctor Robert Elliott

Nancy Allen

Liz Blake

Angie Dickinson

Kate Miller

Keith Gordon

Peter Miller

Dennis Franz

Detective Marino

David Margulies

Dr. Levy

Ken Baker

Warren Lockman

Susanna Clemm

Betty Luce

Brandon Maggart

Cleveland Sam

Amalie Collier

Cleaning Woman

Trivia

Dressed to Kill was a box office success, grossing over $31 million against a production budget of $6.5 million.

Brian De Palma claimed he got the idea for the murderer after watching a transsexual on The Phil Donahue Show.

The naked body in the opening shower scene was not Angie Dickinson's, but that of 1977 Penthouse Pet of the Year model Victoria Lynn Johnson.

Actress Angie Dickinson had a conflict with costume designer Ann Roth over the color of a suit, with Dickinson ultimately winning the argument.

Liv Ullmann was originally offered the role of Kate Miller but declined due to the film's violence.

Reviews

Critics

GS

Gene Siskel

8/10

Praised scenes as exciting and stylish but found the mystery easy to solve, making the visual pyrotechnics less engaging.

VC

Vincent Canby

9/10

Described the film as witty, romantic, and very funny, noting it defused graphic violence and was peculiarly moral. Praised excellent performers.

SB

Sheila Benson

10/10

Hailed the film as brilliant from its opening, calling it a sustained, elegant, sensual, erotic, bloody work of terror and a directorial tour de force.

LM

Leonard Maltin

5/10

Rated it 2/4 stars, calling it a 'High-tension melodrama' where De Palma prioritizes emotion over logic, maintaining a fever pitch. Praised the music score.

JR

John Simon, National Review

2/10

Criticized it for sophomoric soft-core pornography, vulgar emotional manipulation, inept dialogue, and a plot line full of holes.

V

Variety

4/10

Lamented the film's structural weaknesses.

RE

Roger Ebert

4/10

Found the narrative underwhelming, the plot ludicrously implausible, and criticized the ending's 'it was only a dream!' gimmick.

GA

Gary Arnold

6/10

Described the screenplay as 'remarkably streamlined,' though also 'admittedly contrived' and 'perfunctory.'

PK

Pauline Kael

6/10

Praised its sly dialogue but criticized the obligatory ending as predictable, expository, and lacking in depth.

Audience

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