Tarantino Borrowed From This Brian De Palma Thriller for 'Kill Bill' – You've Probably Never Seen It

Brian De Palma solidified his status as Hitchcock's most prominent disciple. De Palma was interested not only in familiar tropes and plots but also in the effect of Hitchcock's films, which adhered to the laws of cinematic reality.

In 1980, De Palma directed the erotic thriller Dressed to Kill, which was initially panned by critics for its absurd plot and was even nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award.

However, the movie eventually gained cult status and furthermore, De Palma strongly influenced Quentin Tarantino, who has repeatedly professed his love for De Palma and borrowed several key techniques from him for Kill Bill.

What Is 'Dressed to Kill' About?

The story revolves around Bobbi, a mysterious blonde driven by an insatiable passion for murder. Bobbi wields a razor-sharp blade through the crowded streets of New York City as a murder weapon.

The plot begins with the brutal murder of a young woman, leaving a witness named Liz alive. Liz and the murdered woman's son must team up and seek the help of Dr. Robert Elliott, who may be able to assist in the investigation.

'Dressed to Kill' Was One of the Biggest Inspirations for Tarantino's 'Kill Bill'

Quentin Tarantino has always admired the work of Brian De Palma and in Kill Bill, he made several colorful nods to De Palma, the master of 80s thrillers.

Most notably, Tarantino used the split shot, a technique De Palma first employed in Sisters and further developed in subsequent films, including Dressed to Kill. Tarantino shamelessly borrowed this technique, making it one of the signature features of Kill Bill.

Furthermore, Daryl Hannah's character, a nurse turned killer, is a direct reference to the nurse in Dressed to Kill. Although the two movies appear to have little in common, Dressed to Kill provided Tarantino with several key visual and narrative solutions.

In Turn, 'Dressed to Kill' Was Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'

The following text contains spoilers for Dressed to Kill!

Dressed to Kill is an ode to Psycho. Like Norman Bates, Michael Caine's Dr. Robert Elliott commits crimes while disguised as a woman. The emotionally restrained yet terrifying elevator razor blade murder scene is almost as striking as Hitchcock's famous shower sequence.

De Palma doesn't merely imitate Hitchcock, he reimagines his work, elevating it to a new level of stylistic excellence and placing it within the context of 1980s culture. The technical camera movements, and the depiction of human perversions all combine to make Dressed to Kill a unique phenomenon.

Any fan of Psycho should watch Dressed to Kill, which is more of a spiritual sequel than a plot-driven one. Dressed to Kill is a film that simultaneously pays homage to Hitchcock and lays the groundwork for Tarantino's future masterpieces.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Dressed to Kill'?

• Dressed to Kill has 83% from critics and 74% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, Dressed to Kill scored 3.6/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Dressed to Kill'?

Dressed to Kill is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.