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Dressed to Kill

Play trailer Poster for Dressed to Kill R 1980 1h 45m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police think Liz is the murderer, the real killer wants to silence the crime's only witness. Only Kate's inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.

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Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

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Critics Consensus

With arresting visuals and an engrossingly lurid mystery, Dressed to Kill stylishly encapsulates writer-director Brian De Palma's signature strengths.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/18/2023
De Palma shows the kind of restless intelligence which suggests that he will want to work in many different forms, and certainly he needs more chances to work on a larger scale... But he doesn’t have to move away from thrillers to prove he’s an artist. Go to Full Review Michael Blowen Boston Globe 04/28/2018
Dressed To Kill is a nail-biting, seat-squirming, stylish murder mystery with a brain. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 09/26/2007
Originality has never been a high value in the genre-bound aesthetic of filmmaking, but De Palma cheapens what he steals. Go to Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times Jul 2
4/5
An eyebrow-raising performance from Michael Caine keeps this clever shocker moving along nicely, and De Palma's brilliant sleight-of-hand direction pulls out all the suspense stops, providing some unforgettable jolts. Go to Full Review Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast 09/11/2023
4/5
De Palma at the top of his game, with some masterfully edited and scored sequences that still hold up by modern standards. Go to Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast 09/06/2023
4/5
Exquisitely directed by DePalma and bearing the key signifiers of a prototypical Erotic Thriller, Dressed to Kill does contribute to the problematic depiction of trans women as killers, though it's not as influential as Psycho or The Silence of The Lambs Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason H @RT50328122 Apr 10 It's more than a little absurd. See more Justin T @RT08580778 Feb 23 This was a good little eighties classy thriller. It was quite gritty. It was certainly not smooth and slick. The camera work was fantastic. Nancy Allen was excellent in this, such a charismatic actress. The acting is brilliant. There were some amazingly well shot scenes. Some scenes felt slow and uneventful though. The exciting moments are well done. Nothing too scary sadly. Interesting story. I did enjoy this film although I don’t think that it is very special, somewhat forgettable? See more Andrew Reed M @OscarReedThethird Jan 18 Very good thriller. It is full of late '70s style, which is fun, but the story transcends the era and is a nail biter. It's almost worth watch just to see what happens to the Michael Caine character. See more Farah R @Farah Nov 28 Dressed to Kill isn't one of Brian De Palma's best storywise, but it showcases his distinctive visual style. The dazzling cinematography, use of split-screen and slow-motion were perfect for suspense-building sequences, especially the iconic elevator scene. While the plot twist was predictable, the film's stylish direction makes it a watchable thriller. See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Oct 20 That opening scene though... See more Constantine N @RT31933057 Sep 13 Cheesy, and the majority of scenes are drawn out and have little meaning towards the plot. For example, the art museum scene: why is 10 minutes spent on cat/mouse chasing, no words spoken... The director thinks the viewers are dense and tries to explain thoughts and emotions through what feels like endless scenes. The missing underwear. The missing ring. The cop on the subway. The young boy is supposed to be Inspector Gadget? with listening devices, cameras, and inventing a "new circuit"... all attempts to solve his mother's murder? It's almost a comedy how cringy some scenes are. See more Read all reviews
Dressed to Kill

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Cast & Crew

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Brian De Palma

Director

Michael Caine

Doctor Robert Elliott

Angie Dickinson

Kate Miller

Nancy Allen

Liz Blake

Keith Gordon

Peter Miller

Dennis Franz

Detective Marino

Movie Clips

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Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Museum Encounter Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Museum Encounter 4:24 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Seducing Dr. Elliott Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Seducing Dr. Elliott 2:16 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - You're Not a Psycho Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - You're Not a Psycho 2:10 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Subway Chase Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Subway Chase 2:43 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Watching Phil Donahue Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Watching Phil Donahue 2:11 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Transsexuality Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Transsexuality 2:37 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Murder on an Elevator Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Murder on an Elevator 3:13 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Shower Nightmare Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Shower Nightmare 2:07 Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Behind You! Dressed to Kill: Official Clip - Behind You! 1:46 View more videos

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Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill (1980) Dressed to Kill (1980) Dressed to Kill (1980) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police think Liz is the murderer, the real killer wants to silence the crime's only witness. Only Kate's inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.
Director
Brian De Palma
Producer
George Litto
Screenwriter
Brian De Palma
Distributor
GoodTimes Home Video [us], Warner Home Vídeo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co
Filmways Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 23, 1980, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 14, 2014
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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