8. Body Heat (1981)
Director: Lawrence Kasdan Cast: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Mickey Rourke, Richard Crenna Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan managed to deliver one of the 1980s best thrillers with Body Heat. Its a neo-noir thriller that tips its hat to Double Indemnity, one of the finest noir films ever produced. Having written the screenplays for Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back, Kasdans directorial debut was a critical and commercial success. The films stellar cast and steamy plot made Kasdan a bankable Hollywood director. William Hurt plays a sleazy lawyer who becomes involved with Kathleen Turner, the wife of a wealthy man played by Richard Crenna. Turner likes her lifestyle, and loves her husbands money, but her feelings for Crenna are open to debate. Divorce is not an option for Turner due to a prenuptial agreement. So the two lovers concoct a plan for Hurt to murder Crenna. Enter Mickey Rourke, who provides a bomb for Hurt so that he may commit his dirty deed. Body Heat is a riveting and compelling thriller, complete with a steamy affair and winding, twisting plot that culminates with one of the characters having a drink on a sunny beach. Kathleen Turner is remarkable here as a cunning, manipulative woman who is determined to get what she wants. And she does.