Review of Detour (1992) by Ben L — 01 Apr 2015

Detour is an interesting look at how some no-name studios were able to slap together a film on a tight budget back in the day. It is loaded with production mistakes, and other flaws that are hard to ignore.

However, it is also a strong example of early film noir. The tone of the film is dark and gritty, and so is the look of it. I was impressed at how they utilized the lighting and the atmosphere to create the mood.

Basically this is the story of a young man (Al Roberts) who decides to hitch rides across the country in order to meet up with the girl he loves. Along the way a man who gives him a ride ends up dead and Roberts makes the decision that, in order to avoid prison it is best to hide the body and then steal his identity.

What is most interesting about this story is the question it leaves you with as an audience member. Is Al really an innocent bystander who just makes poor choices and gets trapped by them, or is this actually the story of a murderer who is trying to justify what he's done to himself.

You see we are told the whole story from the perspective of Al's voice within his own head, so we don't have a 100% reliable narrator, and that is where the story held some interest for me. I don't think the acting was all that great.

Tom Neal is very flat, and Ann Savage is shrill and annoying. Yet I was just interested enough in what was really going on to keep watching. I absolutely will not be seeing this movie again, but it was a nice look back at how some movies were made, and what can be accomplished when you leave a few of the facts to the viewer's imagination.

If you have an hour to spare (yes, it's only 67 minutes long) check this one out. It's in the public domain so you can watch it free all over the internet, and it's got a decent story even if the execution isn't spot on.