Blue Steel
1990 · 102 min · Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
On her first day on the job, NYPD officer Megan Turner, the lone officer on the scene, shoots and kills the perpetrator of a supermarket hold-up. Since no gun was found on the perpetrator's person or at the scene and none of the witnesses could corroborate Megan's story definitively that the perpetrator was indeed wielding a gun, she is suspended from active duty. She is quickly albeit temporarily reinstated to the position of homicide detective because the spent shell casing from the bullet used in a subsequent murder had her name carved on it. This murder ends up being only the first in a series. Working on the case with fellow homicide detective Nick Mann, Megan initially has no idea who in her life could be the murderer. In short order, the murderer does show himself to her. He is commodities trader Eugene Hunt who she met immediately following her suspension and who she has since dated. He also implies to her that he was in the supermarket at the time of the hold-up and that he fled the scene with the perpetrator's gun. The supermarket shooting caused a psychotic break in him which resulted in among other things his obsession with her. However, beyond his implications only to her of being the murderer, Megan has no hard evidence that would stand up in a court of law that Eugene is indeed the murderer. Megan has to convince her colleagues, especially Nick, that she is telling the truth about Eugene, while stopping him from killing again and equally as important stopping him from his continued psychological torture of her.
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Emotional fingerprint
Blue Steel (1990) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Tension 35%, Anxiety 25%, Fear 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Tension35%
- Anxiety25%
- Fear20%
- Excitement15%
- Anger5%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Tension, Anxiety, Fear. Genres: Drama, Crime, Action. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Tension, Anxiety and Fear. Its IMDb rating of 5.8/10 suggests a mixed audience reception; consider how well the emotional profile suits you. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 60/100.
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Tension
- Fear
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Tension | Fear | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Tension | 62 % | 53 % | 43 % | 40 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | 56 % | 44 % | 35 % | 29 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 13′ | Tension | 64 % | 56 % | 41 % | 33 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Curiosity | 58 % | 49 % | 28 % | 26 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Curiosity | 48 % | 38 % | 20 % | 23 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Tension | 55 % | 49 % | 33 % | 33 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 33′ | Curiosity | 54 % | 46 % | 28 % | 28 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Curiosity | 51 % | 43 % | 23 % | 30 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Tension | 59 % | 53 % | 33 % | 41 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Tension | 65 % | 60 % | 41 % | 48 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Disturbing | 74 % | 69 % | 54 % | 59 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Tension | 81 % | 71 % | 56 % | 57 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Sadness | 81 % | 65 % | 44 % | 54 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Sadness | 78 % | 66 % | 43 % | 54 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Tension | 76 % | 73 % | 54 % | 46 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Tension | 75 % | 71 % | 59 % | 40 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Tension | 74 % | 69 % | 59 % | 40 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Tension | 81 % | 76 % | 68 % | 50 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 94′ | Tension | 75 % | 71 % | 64 % | 48 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 99′ | Tension | 56 % | 52 % | 43 % | 32 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
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Cast
Husband
Instructor
Officer Jeff Travers
Counterman
Cashier
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Details
- Directed by
- Kathryn Bigelow
- Written by
- Eric Red, Kathryn Bigelow
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1990
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Tension
- Data updated
Where to watch
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Free
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