--- title: "Blow Out: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blow-out/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/blow-out" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Blow Out (1981): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 12 reviews: 11 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics strongly favour Blow Out, with praise clustering around De Palma’s handling of sound, suspense and political paranoia. The reviews repeatedly single out the way recordings and images become tools for investigating truth, particularly the sequence in which Travolta reconstructs an accident. Travolta’s performance draws consistent praise, while the film’s technical flourishes are widely seen as serving its unease about power and media manipulation. Several critics also stress the emotional force beneath the elaborate construction. The disagreement concerns how well that construction holds together and how much the film owes its predecessors. Time Out admires the style and performances but finds that the tangled plot often confuses rather than frightens. Empire enjoys the suspense and showmanship while judging it less successful than The Conversation. These are limited reservations within a strongly positive consensus: eleven reviews are positive, with only one mixed assessment and none negative. ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★★. 21 May 2021. An impeccable thriller combining horror and politics, a meticulously constructed feast for the ears and one of De Palma’s finest films. It features strong performances, especially from Travolta, and self-referential homage to Blow-Up. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/blow-out-1981-review-john-travolta-impeccable-thriller-w3rkwfs02) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 2016. The critic praises Blow Out as a mind-blowing masterpiece where De Palma uncovers reality through personal construction, highlighting its political themes and emotional impact, especially the ending. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-de-palma/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 1981. The critic calls it De Palma's best and most original work, a conspiracy thriller that draws on real American history and other films but stands alone with three-dimensional characters and a real cinematic intelligence. He singles out the brilliantly crafted sequence in which Travolta reconstructs the accident from sound and photos for praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blow-out) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2021. De Palma’s best and most ingenious film, a dazzling 1981 masterpiece with never-better John Travolta caught in a murder plot. It excels in its deconstructive trickery, political themes of media manipulation and conspiracy, and emotional set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/24/blow-out-40th-anniversary-brian-de-palma) ## Little White Lies — Taylor Burns Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2016. The critic praises De Palma's thriller for its visual style and deeper political commentary on American power and paranoia, framing it as a story of a working-class man punished for doing the right thing. The tragic final scene is singled out as particularly sorrowful and gorgeous. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/blow-out-brian-de-palma-john-travolta) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. The critic calls it Travolta's best role in a paranoid mystery full of De Palma's trademark suspense, black humour and high style, with a knockout downbeat ending. It is described as an audio version of Antonioni's Blow-Up. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nc4okb/blow-out/) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2006. The critic views Blow Out as De Palma’s most nightmarish film, a conspiracy thriller whose downbeat ending and slow-motion fade into personal and political hell underscore the impossibility of preserving truth or innocence. They single out the film’s frank anti-establishment stance and Nancy Allen’s poignant performance as the victimized Sally for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blow-out/) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2020. The critic describes Blow Out as a terrific psychological thriller that questions film's ability to show objective truth, mixing paranoia with Hitchcockian suspense. She singles out the haunting final scream and De Palma's technical tricks like split-diopter shots and a dizzying 360-degree sequence for building dread. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/the-indy-film-club-blow-out-brian-de-palma-john-travolta-thriller-cast-director-a9482341.html) ## Empire — Mark Dinning Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls the film a vastly underrated and intricately crafted thriller full of suspense, praising its De Palma showboating and John Lithgow's crackpot performance while noting it falls short of The Conversation. The verdict labels it a forgotten gem. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blow-2-review/) ## Time Out — MB Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 May 2011. The review describes the film as a stylish mix of influences from Antonioni and Coppola, with strong performances and thrills, but notes that the baroque plot often confuses rather than frightens. It highlights plenty of style and a slick ending. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blow-out) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2016. The critic lauds the film's brilliant shock ending and its exploration of filmmaking and conspiracy, calling it carefully crafted and outright brilliant, contrasting it with lesser genre films. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/blow-out-and-why-movies-need-shock-endings/) ## Paste — Andy Crump Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2021. The critic hails Blow Out as Brian De Palma’s best or most bravura film, a politically cynical masterpiece that masterfully blends sleaze and exquisite craftsmanship through techniques like split diopters and deep focus. They single out the film's exploration of filmmaking elements, particularly sound, and its grim, truthful ending that underscores the futility against political intrigue. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/brian-de-palma/blow-out-cynical-patriotism) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/blow-out.md