Detour

Released Nov 30, 1945

1h 9m

Crime

Drama

List

98%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

77%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

In New York, piano player Al Roberts (Tom Neal) laments when his singer girlfriend, Sue Harvey (Claudia Drake), leaves for Hollywood, Calif. When Al gets some money, he decides to hitchhike to California to join Sue. In Arizona, Al accepts a ride with Charles Haskell (Edmund MacDonald), but during a storm in a freak accident, Haskell is killed. Frightened, Al assumes Haskell's identity and car, but soon comes upon the mysterious Vera (Ann Savage), who seems to know all about his true identity.

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Critics Consensus

Stylish and gripping, Detour offers further proof that a patsy and a femme fatale often add up to a satisfying story.

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Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Tom Neal does extremely well in the long, difficult role of the petrified pianist whose misadventures are told in flashback; while Ann Savage all but blisters the screen with her venoemous, snarling performance as the vicious Vera.

Dec 29, 2020

Full Review

Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

[Detour] is a morbid melodrama, depressing and uninteresting.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 29, 2020

Full Review

LA Times Staff

Los Angeles Times

One of the most poignant and disturbing stories to reach the screen in any year is this one. You're not just looking at a picture; you're right in it and suffering along with the man whose troubles are being told.

Dec 29, 2020

Full Review

Fedor Tot

Vague Visages

Detour plays like a fever dream powered by guilt and dread; an existential noir about an American male lost in the nothingness and vastness of the country.

Nov 7, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

I like to think of Edgar G. Ulmer’s waking nightmare Detour (1945), an existential, almost surreal thriller, as the “B”-est film noir ever made.

Dec 3, 2022

Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...a quick, grimy, and above all else guilty picture.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 6, 2021

Full Review

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Martin F

A film noir that have the perfect characters but no story to tell. Tom Neal plays greatly his role of a pianist slowly tortured by his own acts until he falls into the trap of a femme fatale. Vera is one of the most memorable femme fatale of all time, she is a strong character that manipulate the heroes not with the expect charm from the role but with her assertive personality, she loudly pushes him into a corner, taking advantage of his weakness. The story moves slowly, despite a short runtime, with nothing interesting happening. Only the characters make the movie works but it's not enough to hide the lack of twist and event. I would even say that the movie ends just after we feel like the story will get interesting as both characters starts to plan something exciting but then the movie abruptly ends. The final itself is great and morbid and a perfect conclusion for the protagonists, and a way to finish at least on a good note.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/05/24

Full Review

j f

Ann Savage crazy good

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/10/23

Full Review

Yyhh 6

Excellent. I think he was a very badass saxophonist

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As far as Noir films go this one isn't bad. But unfortunately the actors especially Ann Savage didn't impress me at all. During a pivotal Scene when an actor is supposed to be dead and they continue to blink Id have to say thats more than just a poor oversight. Also the acting in general was over exaggerated and left much more to be desired . Tom Neal as the main protagonist however was flawless in comparison to his female counterparts. The ending itself was too abrupt and not exactly the conclusion it could have been. The suspense and overall tension fizzled out into a dull open ended oblivion. I was expecting so much more from what could have been a gripping Noir Film but was left disappointed with a finale that fell flat.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

While much has been said about the rough-shod nature of "Detour's" production as well as the far-fetched improbability of the film's story, neither quality should "detour" the viewer from enjoying this remarkably gripping work of noir. With the kind of taut construction best befitting the suspense genre, we are impressed with the film's gritty esthetic and playfully over-the-top dialogue. We may feel tempted to dismiss the work on the grounds of our inability to take its premise truly seriously, but the astute viewer quickly realizes that such sincerity would short-change the audience out of an experience that audaciously characterizes so much that we've come to love of the noir sensibility. Sit back and enjoy a ride that promises to twist and turn to an extent that will derail your craziest expectations.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

william d

The story is farfetched. I dislike narration, and Detour is hampered by its near continuous narration. The acting is subpar, except for Ann Savage. Her performance is downright awful.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Edgar G. Ulmer

Director

Tom Neal

Al Roberts

Ann Savage

Vera

Claudia Drake

Sue Harvey

Edmund MacDonald

Charles Haskell Jr

Tim Ryan

Nevada Diner Proprietor

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Synopsis

In New York, piano player Al Roberts (Tom Neal) laments when his singer girlfriend, Sue Harvey (Claudia Drake), leaves for Hollywood, Calif. When Al gets some money, he decides to hitchhike to California to join Sue. In Arizona, Al accepts a ride with Charles Haskell (Edmund MacDonald), but during a storm in a freak accident, Haskell is killed. Frightened, Al assumes Haskell's identity and car, but soon comes upon the mysterious Vera (Ann Savage), who seems to know all about his true identity.

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Production Co: Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 30, 1945, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.2K
Runtime: 1h 9m

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