Out of the Blue
A punk-aligned teenage girl clings to her eccentric musical identity while navigating a family corroded by addiction, incarceration, and trauma.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- melancholic
- volatile
- serious film night
- punk cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, unflinching family tragedy anchored by Linda Manz's extraordinary performance and Dennis Hopper's direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cebe seeks refuge in punk rock and Elvis while struggling against her fractured family and inability to conform.
The film depicts addiction, trauma, and fractured redneck family life while escalating toward a violent conclusion.
Cebe's experience organizes the film's view of her ex-convict father, addicted mother, and destructive home environment.
Cebe's comfort in the combination of Elvis and punk rock is a defining expression of her outsider identity.
Films like Out of the Blue, and why
Christiane F.
bleak family dysfunction, adolescent alienation, and a harrowing descent into destructive behavior
Suburbia
raw coming of age drama, punk-inflected subculture, and emotionally devastating social realism
The Panic in Needle Park
volatile working-class family life, damaged youth, and unflinching tragic intensity
River's Edge
outsider adolescence, drug abuse, and confrontational American independent filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Dennis Hopper
- Release Date
- 1981-04-29
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (103)
Cast
- Linda Manz
- Dennis Hopper
- Sharon Farrell
- Don Gordon
- Raymond Burr
- Leon Ericksen
- Fiona Brodie
- David L. Crowley
- Joan Hoffman
- Carl Nelson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Out of the Blue about?
- A punk-aligned teenage girl clings to her eccentric musical identity while navigating a family corroded by addiction, incarceration, and trauma.
- What is Out of the Blue like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Out of the Blue as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Out of the Blue violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Out of the Blue as brutal.
- What did critics think of Out of the Blue?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, unflinching family tragedy anchored by Linda Manz's extraordinary performance and Dennis Hopper's direction.
- Which films are like Out of the Blue?
- Films with a similar feel include Christiane F., Suburbia, The Panic in Needle Park, and River's Edge.
- How long is Out of the Blue?
- Out of the Blue runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Out of the Blue?
- In United States, Out of the Blue is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
