Review of The Hot Spot (1990) by Clintus M — 13 Oct 2011

The Hot Spot is an outstanding erotic thriller from director Dennis Hopper, evocative of 40s film noir yet set perfectly in present day west Texas. Although this film is known to many only for Jennifer Connelly's topless scene, the nudity is only a bonus, and I found femme fatale Virginia Madsen much sexier. She plays Dolly Harshaw, a hot, manipulative seductress combining 50s Liz Taylor with 90s Sharon Stone. I don't love Don Johnson ordinarily, but he's effective here, and you'll fall in love instantly with Connelly's character. Johnson's character is not so much a criminal mastermind as a clever shady drifter (who picks up work as a car salesman, imagine that!) The acting is good all around; I liked Bill Sadler as a redneck sleazeball, and Jack Nance is hilarious as the bank president.

How could you ask for more, really? The Hot Spot's got scandal, murder, blackmail, nudity, and a little humor set in a hot, dusty setting. The soundtrack's good too. One critic termed Madsen "relentless," but I reserve that for Maddie in Body Heat. That's a superior film, but uninhibited and insatiable apply just as well to this film. The action and the passion build to a fever pitch and climax unexpectedly in this steaming hot potboiler. It's a little long and meandering but a neo-noir success nonetheless.