Breakdown

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Breakdown

R

1997

1h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan), experience car trouble after an accident. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver, Red Barr (J.T. Walsh), offers to drive Amy to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, only to find his wife missing and Barr claiming ignorance. Jeff then begins a frenzied search for Amy.

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Critics Consensus

A brainy and suspenseful -- if somewhat uneven -- thriller.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Its simplicity is striking, and because the central premise is wholly believable, the sensational and impossible aspects become equally genuine as the film goes along.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 1, 2022

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

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Stephen Hunter

Washington Post

[Kurt Russell's] lack of energy afflicts the film as much as its director's lack of ideas.

May 7, 2003

Full Review

Jen Johans

Film Intuition

Clocking in at roughly ninety minutes, Mostow's film plays like a gritty yet glossy entry into the universally relatable Ordinary Person in Extraordinary Peril subgenre

Oct 13, 2021

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A turbo-charged thriller.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 24, 2021

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Despite a few hiccups, Breakdown is a solid movie and Paramount Pictures made a very good choice adding to their Paramount Presents collection.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 23, 2021

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john h

J.T. Walsh manages to mask himself as a truly hateful villain with no redeeming qualities and Russel heroically plays a determined Husband who enlightens audiences with his heroic deeds. The fight between two men with completely different morals is the central component as to why Breakdown is an adrenaline thriller.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

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Jonathan O

A 90 minutes of pure suspenseful thriller ever.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Jeffrey D

I picked this VHS tape up from Goodwill for $0.99 plus tax. It’s probably one of the most suspenseful movies I’ve ever seen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

Ian B

Grab some popcorn and a beer for this thrilling non stop action movie. I can't believe I've not seen this before. Very enjoyable, fast paced with superb real stuntwork and great all round performances. Excellent

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/15/25

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Andy B

Simple but effective and undeservedly forgotten little 90's kidnap thriller. Recommended.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

mock c

How in the heck does this thing have a 69% audience score? I just watched red letter media and they informed me about this movie, I just watched it for the first time in 2025 the year of Our Lord. This effing movie is incredible. No stupid '90s catchphrases and Bare Bones action. And even though this thing has a 90% audience score we must realize that, also, there are dumb people in this world. Go see the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

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Jonathan Mostow

Director

Kurt Russell

Jeffrey "Jeff"' Taylor

J.T. Walsh

Warren "Red" Barr

Kathleen Quinlan

Amy Taylor

M.C. Gainey

Earl

Jack Noseworthy

Billy

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Synopsis

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan), experience car trouble after an accident. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver, Red Barr (J.T. Walsh), offers to drive Amy to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, only to find his wife missing and Barr claiming ignorance. Jeff then begins a frenzied search for Amy.

Director: Jonathan Mostow
Producer: Martha De Laurentiis, Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter: Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery
Production Co: Dino De Laurentiis Company
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.2M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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