Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan, during an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband. Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, Mickey Rourke and Kim Zimmer.
While sensual cinema may not be on the top of everyone’s watchlist in 2026, if you are a fan, you’d find Body Heat nestled right under a definition of sexy cinema. Straight away Lawrence Kasdan, along with cinematographer Richard H. Kline, build that atmosphere of a heatwave, how it drops those inhibitions and is a prime opportunity for bad decisions. The visual is romantic yet tense, passionate yet curious, every scene is laced with the apprehension of what’s to come when their desire becomes their downfall.
It has that Hitchcockian feel to the story, with its depth and intrigue, as well as its intensity, and arguably the familiarity to the plot. That’s the great thing about Body Heat though, it does not matter if you can guess a hundred times over where this is going, it doesn’t make it any less satisfying. The reason for that is how well Kasdan builds that allure and seduction, you’re there for the experience, not necessarily a bombshell revelation, and it’s worth it. The progression to it is truly excellent, in the bigger picture it’s actually quite gradual but it flows so well that you don’t really notice.
Part of whether or not you’ll guess where the story is headed, unless you’re a lucky, uncynical person who can genuinely simply sit and watch a film without thinking ahead, is how much of Kathleen Turner’s work you’ve seen. Turner is one of the femme fatale queens of the late twentieth century, she forever makes you wonder what she has hidden up her sleeve. It’s wonderful to watch but also makes it hard to truly trust any character she plays. Another great thing about Body Heat is that again, it does not matter in the slightest because it’s good enough that you put aside any trepidation and just enjoy the ride.
Which is in no small part thanks to the ridiculously strong chemistry that she has with William Hurt. To convincingly create that kind of relationship which is purely based on unbridled desire is no small feat, and Turner and Hurt are possibly one of the best examples to ever grace the big screen. Hurt is effortlessly charming, while also having an unsubtle hint of scumbag, which is a difficult mix to pull off, and he makes it seem effortless. Similar to Turner’s Matty, can you really trust Hurt’s Ned? No, and that’s definitely a part of its entertainment value.
Ted Danson is also a wonderful addition here (really, when is he ever not?), there’s a levity to his character that’s endearing but he’s also compassionate and caring. He does play up the classic man’s man bit every now and again but outside of that, he’s actually quite a unique male character for that time. As well as featuring a so young he’s unrecognisable Mickey Rourke. Countless people could probably watch Body Heat and if they weren’t told or aware of it beforehand, genuinely would not know it was him. He only has a brief role to play but it’s a great one, with a lovely bit of lip-syncing thrown in for the hell of it.
Body Heat is the definition of sexy cinema. It’s bursting with a desire so fierce it would blind any person to the potential terrible decisions that are headed their way. William Hurt and Kathleen Turner are exceptional, keeping that intensity and heat going between them, with so many sex scenes, is actually quite impressive. There’s something undeniably compelling about their connection which keeps the story going so well. It has just a hint of darkness which pairs beautifully with its romance, it’s suave and smooth.
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