Body Double

Body Double borrows heavily from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), with its protagonist spying on neighbors, and Vertigo (1958), with its themes of obsession, doubles, and a woman who may or may not be who she seems. The film also features a scene involving a power drill that echoes Hitchcock's use of suspense. Brian De Palma has been open about his homage to Hitchcock throughout his career.

Craig Wasson stars as Jake Scully, a struggling actor with claustrophobia who is hired to housesit and becomes obsessed with a woman he spies on through a telescope. Melanie Griffith co-stars as Holly Body, an adult film actress who becomes entangled in the mystery. The film also features Gregg Henry in a pivotal supporting role.

One of the most famous sequences in Body Double involves a character being murdered with a large power drill, a scene that became iconic for its over-the-top violence and stylized direction. The scene was heavily inspired by the shower sequence in Hitchcock's Psycho. The scene contributed to the film's controversy and its X-rating battle with the MPAA.

Body Double received mixed reviews upon its 1984 release but has since been reappraised as a significant work in Brian De Palma's filmography, often compared favorably to his earlier thrillers like Dressed to Kill and Blow Out. Critics and scholars appreciate its self-referential commentary on voyeurism and filmmaking. Melanie Griffith won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role.