Body Heat

Body Heat is a crime thriller set in Florida during a sweltering heatwave. Ned Racine, a small-town lawyer whose career has stalled, meets Matty Walker, the striking wife of a wealthy businessman. The attraction between them quickly turns into a secret affair, and Matty begins to talk about leaving her husband. Because a prenuptial agreement would leave her with almost nothing if she divorced him, she and Ned instead plan his death. Ned arranges the killing, but the scheme proves far less straightforward than either of them expected, and he gradually realises he is caught in a web of deceit whose author he cannot identify.

The film was released in 1981 and runs 113 minutes. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, who also wrote the screenplay; it was the first film he directed, ahead of The Big Chill, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist, among later titles. William Hurt plays Ned, Kathleen Turner plays Matty, and Richard Crenna plays her husband Edmund Walker. Ted Danson, J.A. Preston and Mickey Rourke appear in supporting roles, and the credited cast numbers 26. Fred T. Gallo produced, with Warner Bros. Pictures and The Ladd Company behind it. Made for about 9 million dollars, it took roughly 24 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.4/10 from 39,328 votes, and on TMDB 7/10 from 717 votes. A critics' rating of 8.1/10 from 47 reviews places critical approval above the audience scores.