Detour

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Detour

Released Nov 30, 1945

1h 9m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

98%

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42 Reviews

77%

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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

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Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

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

Rated: 2/4

Dec 29, 2020

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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

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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

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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

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

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

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 6, 2021

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Insomniac X

Frank performances and diabolical twists drive this simple tale of a road trip gone wrong. The dark synchronicities at play here emanate from the protagonist's bitter outlook, and make for an effective cautionary tale. Bonus points for brevity, at just 68 minutes.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

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Will G

A great classic Hollywood movie! It was about a man who is hitchhiking. There is drama and suspense. It was cool to see the old cars. I guess a lot of people wore fedoras back then.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Leaburn O

A great era for cinema and this dark, short story is perfectly told and acted. It’s a slim plot and a little ridiculous but very atmospheric. Watched on Amazon Prime.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/02/24

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Luis M. D

A relatively simple story with no twists or complications but able to catch my attention and kept me interested.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

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Alec B

There's a desperation to these characters that is different than you typically get from noirs. Also I think I buy the unreliable narrator interpretation, this guy is probably a stone cold killer.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/09/24

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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

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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

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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
Producer: Leon Fromkess
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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