Dressed to Kill-1980
Director Brian De Palma
Starring Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen
Top 250 Films #16
Top 40 Horror Films #5
Scott’s Review #164
Reviewed September 2, 2014
Grade: A
Dressed to Kill (1980) is Brian De Palma’s most significant work throughout his storied career.
Set in New York City, the film is essentially divided into two halves.
The first half centers on Angie Dickinson as Kate, a bored housewife. She is unhappy in her marriage and seeks therapy from a psychiatrist played by Michael Caine, to whom she makes sexual advances.
She is unfaithful to her husband, yet she a kind, intelligent, and cultured. She adores her son and loves her husband, but feels utterly unfulfilled.
Do we, the audience, sympathize with her? Does she get what she deserves? Is she a victim?
One powerful scene involves a wide-eyed little girl who cannot stop staring at Kate. Can she sense Kate’s shenanigans? Does she sense her conflict? Does Kate feel guilt?
Kate is a complex character and brilliantly played by Dickinson, who gives the character sexiness, softness, and appeal.
After a shocking event in a high-rise elevator rivaled only by the shower scene in Psycho (1960) for its surprise and terror, the rest of the film follows Nancy Allen as Liz, a prostitute determined to solve a mystery to clear her name.
De Palma sets the dreamlike tone with a sizzling opening shower scene sure to make the prudish blush in its explicitness, which I found deliciously sexy.
A ten-minute museum sequence speaks volumes without dialogue, as Kate engages in a cat-and-mouse flirtation with a stranger.
The brilliance of Dressed to Kill lies in its versatility and complexity, and it delivers one surprise after another, from the elevator scene to the final reveal to the final stage itself.
It is part horror film, part thriller, and always stylish.
The film was not well regarded upon release, but over the years, it has been respected for its creativity and excellent mood. Many scenes are shot in slow motion, adding to the effect.
Dressed to Kill (1980) is simply brilliant on every level.
Golden Globe Nominations: New Star of the Year-Actress-Nancy Allen
