Detour poster

1945·68 min·Released

Detour

“He went searching for love… but fate forced a DETOUR to revelry… violence… mystery!”

Drama
Thriller

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.

7.2(418 votes)

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Videos

Bill Hader on Detour

Cast & Crew

Tom Neal

Tom Neal

Al Roberts

Ann Savage

Ann Savage

Vera

Claudia Drake

Claudia Drake

Sue Harvey

Edmund MacDonald

Edmund MacDonald

Charles Haskell Jr.

Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan

Diner Owner Gus

Esther Howard

Esther Howard

Hedy

Pat Gleason

Pat Gleason

Joe

Don Brodie

Don Brodie

Used Car Salesman (uncredited)

Roger Clark

Roger Clark

Cop (uncredited)

Eddie Hall

Eddie Hall

Used Car Mechanic (uncredited)

Harry Mayo

Harry Mayo

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Harry Strang

Harry Strang

California Border Patrolman (uncredited)

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talisencrw

Written on 7/31/2016

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.

John Chard

Written on 4/19/2020

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, and watch (with accompanied narration) a sequence of events that see him in the middle of nowhere at a diner fearing for his future. Devilishly dark in tone, the film relies on a fine underplayed performance from Tom Neal as Roberts, and a gloriously annoying harpy femme fatale turn from Ann Savage as Vera. The film was made for next to nothing in only one week, and the whole film screams out as a low budget movie shot with a sleazy tint and less than stellar tech credits. Yet money can't buy this type of atmospheric misery, where the vagaries of fate play their brutal film noir hands. Upon release, it was just a poverty row "B" picture, and it passed by almost quietly. Unsurprisingly a few years later "French" cineastes picked up on it and as the years rolled by it has garnered critical reappraisals. So much so the likes of Scorsese and The Coen Brothers cottoned on and gleefully let the influence wash over them. Director was one Edgar G. Ulmer ("The Black Cat", "Bluebeard", "Strange Illusion", "Ruthless"), and here he shows himself the master of low budgetary nous and devilish story telling. 9/10

CinemaSerf

Written on 7/1/2022

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 something you might win a perseverance award for, for sticking with. Tom Neal is driving across the USA when he makes a decision he soon regrets - picking up a rude, gobby woman (Ann Savage) on the highway who proceeds to rob, bully & blackmail him. Accidentally, she comes a cropper and (aside from a general feeling of thank the Lord from the audience) his relief is palpable. The route to his predicament is relayed via his somewhat pathetic retrospective narrative and her relentless onslaughts and they both combine to really grate after a while (say 20 minutes). It has little to redeem it, I'm afraid - neither the photography nor the script inject much pace and/or menace - it's just a tiresome tirade.

griggs79

Written on 11/14/2024

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 sometimes.

Media

Bill Hader on Detour

Bill Hader on Detour

Trailer

Trailer