A Massachusetts couple traveling across the country run afoul of modern day brigands and highwaymen in this excellent thriller. The film treads similar territory to "Red Rock West," featuring J.T. Walsh in one of his most menacing roles--and Kurt Russell isn't half bad either as the viewpoint character. In fact the only disappointing thing about the film is that Jonathan Mostow has not gone on to distinguish himself as an a-list director.
The plot rests on a "city folk" paranoia of rural places (aka "fly-over" country) and smells a little bit like "Deliverance," a little like the early Spielberg film "Duel." Throw in some psychological tension a la Hitchcock and a breathtaking climax worthy of John Woo, and you've got yourself one brilliant, unforgettable nail-biter. As a modern, top-notch suspense film that didn't get the attention it deserved, "Breakdown" is in the estimable company of similar films like "When Strangers Appear," "The Trigger Effect," & "Nick of Time"--if Hitch were alive today, he might be making films like this.
The plot rests on a "city folk" paranoia of rural places (aka "fly-over" country) and smells a little bit like "Deliverance," a little like the early Spielberg film "Duel." Throw in some psychological tension a la Hitchcock and a breathtaking climax worthy of John Woo, and you've got yourself one brilliant, unforgettable nail-biter. As a modern, top-notch suspense film that didn't get the attention it deserved, "Breakdown" is in the estimable company of similar films like "When Strangers Appear," "The Trigger Effect," & "Nick of Time"--if Hitch were alive today, he might be making films like this.