Detour
Detour

Detour

1945Movie68 minEnglish

The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.

Read Reviews

Insights

IMDb7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes94%
Google Users89%
Director: Edgar G. UlmerGenres: Film-Noir, Thriller, Crime

Plot Summary

A down-on-his-luck musician, Al Roberts, hitchhikes across the country to reunite with his singer girlfriend. After a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, he finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and murder, desperately trying to escape a fate that seems predetermined. The film chronicles his increasingly desperate attempts to outrun his past and a series of unfortunate events.

Critical Reception

Despite its low budget and initial obscurity, Detour has gained significant critical acclaim over time, particularly within the film noir community. It is now widely regarded as a cult classic, praised for its bleak atmosphere, innovative storytelling, and raw portrayal of fate and desperation. Its reputation has grown exponentially since its initial release, becoming a staple in discussions of the genre's most impactful films.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its efficient, bleak, and atmospheric direction by Edgar G. Ulmer.
  • Commended for its surprisingly complex narrative exploring themes of fate and guilt.
  • Ann Savage's performance as the manipulative femme fatale is a standout element.

Google audience: Audiences appreciate the film's dark and compelling narrative, the intense performances, and its status as a quintessential film noir. Many find its exploration of bad luck and fatalism highly engaging.

Fun Fact

The film was shot in just six days on a very limited budget, with many scenes filmed on existing studio sets.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
griggs79

griggs79

While great fun, _Detour_ feels lacklustre. The final act seems hastily cobbled together, as if the writers need more ideas, leaving the plot and the characters underdeveloped. Yet, it’s delightful; I guess atmosphere wins over plot sometim...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

I think that in order to get anything from this film noir, you have to accept from the outset that the acting is pretty poor. An implausibly weak Tom Neal, a downright irritating Ann Savage & an especially wooden Claudia Drake make this som...
John Chard

John Chard

Sleazy Nightmare! Playing out as some kind of fate accompanied nightmare, Detour demands repeat viewings since the running time is so short it leaves you hankering for more come the end. We follow the protagonist Al Roberts on the road, ...
talisencrw

talisencrw

This was excellent. One of my very favourite film noirs--and at a fraction of the budget. It made me instantly want to see ALL of Ulmer's films--as well as a lot more of Ann Savage. A priceless find for the adventurous cinephile.