Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- aspirational
- energetic
- romantic
- 1980s nostalgia night
- dance movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film thinly plotted and weakly characterized, while praising its flashy dance sequences, soundtrack, and Jennifer Beals's appealing performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alex works as a steel welder and exotic dancer while pursuing admission to a professional dance company.
Critics repeatedly identified the film's flashy dance numbers, dynamic editing, and Giorgio Moroder-driven presentation as its defining formal quality.
Alex is portrayed as a young woman holding her own as a welder in Pittsburgh's male-dominated steel industry.
The story places Alex's welding work and nighttime dancing side by side against Pittsburgh's steel-town landscape.
Films like Flashdance, and why
Saturday Night Fever
shares an aspirational dance protagonist, music-driven spectacle, romance, and working-class ambition
Dirty Dancing
shares performance-centered drama, romantic tension, and a young woman pursuing artistic ambition against social constraints
Billy Elliot
shares a working-class protagonist, dance as self-expression, and an uplifting artistic breakthrough
Movie Details
- Director
- Adrian Lyne
- Release Date
- 1983-04-14
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1668)
Cast
- Jennifer Beals
- Michael Nouri
- Sunny Johnson
- Kyle T. Heffner
- Cynthia Rhodes
- Lee Ving
- Ron Karabatsos
- Lilia Skala
- Philip Bruns
- Micole Mercurio
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Flashdance about?
- A determined Pittsburgh welder and exotic dancer fights to trade industrial labor and nightclub performance for a place in professional dance.
- What is Flashdance like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flashdance as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Flashdance violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Flashdance.
- What did critics think of Flashdance?
- Critics broadly found the film thinly plotted and weakly characterized, while praising its flashy dance sequences, soundtrack, and Jennifer Beals's appealing performance.
- Which films are like Flashdance?
- Films with a similar feel include Saturday Night Fever, Dirty Dancing, and Billy Elliot.
- How long is Flashdance?
- Flashdance runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flashdance?
- In United States, Flashdance is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
