Overview
A sound technician uncovers a conspiracy that puts his life in jeopardy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- tense
- stylish
- late night viewing
- cinephile marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Brian De Palma's stylish, politically informed thriller as an intelligent and highly accomplished fusion of suspense, film references, and audiovisual investigation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack Terry isolates sounds on his tape recording and uses them to reconstruct the fatal incident.
Jack creates sound effects for low-budget horror films while the investigation repeatedly reflects filmmaking and recording processes.
The apparent accident involving a political figure becomes a conspiracy that places Jack and Sally in danger.
Jack's mastery of audio helps expose the truth while leaving him vulnerable to shadowy enemies.
Films like Blow Out, and why
The Conversation
shares paranoid political conspiracy, audiovisual investigation, and morally pressured suspense
Parallax View
shares neo-noir fatalism, urban paranoia, and a protagonist drawn into a dangerous cover-up
Body Double
shares stylish psychological thriller mechanics, voyeuristic filmmaking, and high-gloss suspense
Three Days of the Condor
shares political murder, escalating paranoia, and bleak crime-thriller intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Brian De Palma
- Release Date
- 1981-07-24
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1759)
Cast
- John Travolta
- Nancy Allen
- John Lithgow
- Dennis Franz
- Peter Boyden
- John Aquino
- John McMartin
- Deborah Everton
- J. Patrick McNamara
- Roger Wilson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Blow Out about?
- A Philadelphia sound technician turns an accidental recording into a perilous investigation of political murder and institutional deception.
- What is Blow Out like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blow Out as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Blow Out violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Blow Out as moderate.
- What did critics think of Blow Out?
- Critics broadly regard Brian De Palma's stylish, politically informed thriller as an intelligent and highly accomplished fusion of suspense, film references, and audiovisual investigation.
- Which films are like Blow Out?
- Films with a similar feel include The Conversation, Parallax View, Body Double, and Three Days of the Condor.
- How long is Blow Out?
- Blow Out runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blow Out?
- In United States, Blow Out streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
