10 Best Brian De Palma Movies

1. Blow Out (1981)

This masterfully crafted political thriller stars John Travolta, who delivers a nuanced performance as a movie sound effects technician who inadvertently records evidence of a political assassination.

The film is a paranoid masterpiece. It uses sound design as a central element of the narrative, making us listen over and over again to a crime. Its stunning cinematography and a haunting conclusion solidify its place as a high point in 1980s cinema.

2. Dressed to Kill (1980)

This movie is so bonkers. It's a visually stunning psychological thriller that is a prime example of De Palma's Hitchcockian obsessions.

And the world is better for them.

The film follows a prostitute who witnesses the murder of a woman, and then tries to solve the crime with her son.

The story is dripping with suspense and a haunting Pino Donaggio score. It's deliberately provocative and constructed so the mystery keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.

3. Body Double (1984)

This is hands down my favorite De Palma movie. In it, he's talking about Vertigo and Rear Window, but somehow putting his own heart on t screen as well.

It's like the definition of lurid, it takes voyeurism and meta narratives to the next level.

The film follows a struggling actor who becomes obsessed with a beautiful woman he spies on, only to be drawn into a murder plot. And it ends with a deconstruction of Hollywood artiface.

4. Mission: Impossible (1996)

De Palma kicked off the blockbuster franchise with this smart, stylish, and incredibly tense spy thriller. He set the tone and visual style for the whole series.

Tom Cruise's debut as Ethan Hunt is charismatic and compelling, and the film is packed with memorable sequences, including the iconic CIA vault heist.

De Palma's signature suspense-building techniques are on full display.

5. The Untouchables (1987)

A commercial and critical triumph, The Untouchables is a grand and stylish depiction of the battle between federal agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and notorious gangster Al Capone (a scenery-chewing Robert De Niro).

With a sharp script by David Mamet and an Oscar-winning performance by Sean Connery, the film is a highly entertaining and beautifully composed gangster epic.

The train station shootout, with its famous homage to Battleship Potemkin, is a masterclass in suspense.

6. Carrie (1976)

The film that launched De Palma into the mainstream, this adaptation of Stephen King's debut novel remains a terrifying and heartbreaking exploration of teen angst and religious fanaticism.

It also showed the world De Palma would not back down from touchy subjects.

De Palma's use of split-screen during the infamous prom scene is a stroke of directorial genius. Carrie is a horror classic that is both visually striking and emotionally resonant.

7. Scarface (1983)

Scarface has become a cultural phenomenon and one of De Palma's most iconic films. It feels like the poster was on every Cribs episode in the 2000s, and the movie is almost bigger as a title, but none of that happens without De Palma.

Al Pacino's ferocious performance as the ambitious Tony Montana is legendary. With a screenplay by Oliver Stone, the film is an audacious and operatic exploration of the American Dream's dark side.

8. Sisters (1972)

Such a delightfully weird movie. It's another clear homage to Alfred Hitchcock, about a journalist who witnesses a murder in the apartment of a former Siamese twin.

The film showcases De Palma's burgeoning mastery of suspense, his use of split-screen, and his fascination with voyeurism and psychological trauma.

9. Femme Fatale (2002)

I think this is a De Palma hidden gem. It's an intricate neo-noir where Rebecca Romijn stars as a jewel thief who attempts to disappear into a new identity, but her past inevitably catches up with her.

The film's nearly silent opening sequence at the Cannes Film Festival is a masterclass in visual storytelling, and the serpentine plot rewards attentive viewers with its clever twists and self-referential style. It's a pure, unadulterated celebration of all of De Palma's cinematic obsessions.

10. Carlito's Way (1993)

Reuniting with Al Pacino, De Palma crafted this poignant gangster film about a former drug lord trying to go straight. Pacino delivers one of his most soulful performances as Carlito Brigante, and Sean Penn is nearly unrecognizable in a Golden Globe-winning supporting role.

The film is a tragic tale of redemption. It features some of De Palma's best set pieces, particularly the climactic chase through Grand Central Station.

Summing It All Up 

As a De Palma fan, I think you should watch everything he's ever done. But if you needed a top 10, I stand by these movies as some of the best times you can have watching movies.