Breakdown (1997)

80% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
60% of users liked it
(34,528 ratings)

In this suspense thriller, a man discovers the unexpected danger of trusting a good Samaritan. Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are driving through the New Mexico desert en route to California when an incident with a lunatic driver causes their jeep to break down in the… More In this suspense thriller, a man discovers the unexpected danger of trusting a good Samaritan. Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are driving through the New Mexico desert en route to California when an incident with a lunatic driver causes their jeep to break down in the middle of nowhere. Jeff is trying to fix the vehicle when an apparently friendly truck driver, Red Barr (J.T. Walsh), stops by to offer help. Red tells the couple that there's a diner a few miles down the road where they can call for help; Jeff decides to stay with the car while Amy hops a ride with Red to see if she can find a mechanic to help them. After a long wait, Jeff is able to get the jeep running again, and he discovers that the diner is indeed a few miles down the road. But everyone there claims they've seen no sign of Amy, and Red claims to know nothing about picking her up. When Jeff attempts to file a missing person's report, he discovers mysterious disappearances are disturbingly common in this stretch of the desert; he soon realizes that someone has kidnapped his wife, but he's not sure who, or for what purpose. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Mostow
Written By: Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: May 2, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Dec 1, 1998
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
[Kurt Russell's] lack of energy afflicts the film as much as its director's lack of ideas.
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
A taut suspense film.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Breakdown has plenty of deft action sequences, and what they add up to is nifty garbage disposal, with all of us -- characters, filmmakers, viewers -- ultimately spiraling down the same drain.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
An example of what happens when a new filmmaker comes along with a fresh perspective and manages to squeeze some life back into a by-now formula plot.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Taut, skillful and surgically effective.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...one of the most effective and flat-out engrossing thrillers within recent cinematic history...
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
A first-rate nail-biter that packs more genuine white-knuckle moments into 100 minutes than a dozen overpriced volcano movies could ever dream of having.
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
A taut, well-crafted suspense film that delivers the paranoid goods.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
An engrossing, exciting nailbiter that makes the most of every single one of its efficient 95 minutes.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Are we really supposed to empathize with the empathy-proof Kurt Russell? I was actually hoping that his character's wife had run away with the trucker ...
John Paul Powell, Jam! Movies
A well-crafted thriller.
Louis B. Hobson, Jam! Movies
Pure free-fall fun.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
It's a little silly and you do have to suspend your disbelief, but it's a thrilling ride.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Conner R

A plain old bad movie with a ridiculous plot and no logic. The first thirty minutes was sort've interesting, but after that it just takes a trip to crazy town. It just becomes the most ridiculous plot that has no base in reality. They tried to attempt blending abduction with… More
A plain old bad movie with a ridiculous plot and no logic. The first thirty minutes was sort've interesting, but after that it just takes a trip to crazy town. It just becomes the most ridiculous plot that has no base in reality. They tried to attempt blending abduction with action and it just didn't work.
Anthony L

It?s been done before and since. It?s been done better, it?s been done worse. It?s ok.
Jason O

"Breakdown" is without a doubt one of the best action movies I've ever seen, and one of the more overlooked. It's about a married couple that get stranded after their car breaks down in the desert. A truck driver (J.T. Walsh), convincingly urges Kurt Russel that he… More
"Breakdown" is without a doubt one of the best action movies I've ever seen, and one of the more overlooked. It's about a married couple that get stranded after their car breaks down in the desert. A truck driver (J.T. Walsh), convincingly urges Kurt Russel that he will take his wife to a nearby phone so she can call for help. However, that's when Russel's wife gets kidnapped and this movie really starts to roll. Kurt Russel goes on an action packed adventure to try to find his wife and when he finally finds where she's at, the suspense gets more intense than just about any movie I've ever seen. I don't see why "Breakdown" wasn't one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the 90's. Kurt Russel puts on one of his best performances ever and J.T. Walsh plays his role as the main villain as close to perfection as any other actor ever has. "Breakdown" has many of the best and most suspenseful action sequences you'll find in any movie. You wouldn't really know that the music stars aren't actors for a living cause they do a great job. There's not many movies that I'll watch twice within a week, but "Breakdown" was so good I watched it 4 times the first week it premiered on cable. I also told all my friends and family how good it was and that they needed to watch it. I taped it the last time I saw it and it's still on my list of one of the best action movies of all time and it always will be. It is also one movie you will never forget. If you like action movies with great suspense and non-stop action, "Breakdown" is one movie you can't miss.
Red L

One of those movies where the world is stacked against you, but you battle against the bad guys if it is the last thing you ever do. The movie keeps you interested til the very end, in fact at the end on the bridge, I was wondering if any one else would come along for Kurt Russell to… More
One of those movies where the world is stacked against you, but you battle against the bad guys if it is the last thing you ever do. The movie keeps you interested til the very end, in fact at the end on the bridge, I was wondering if any one else would come along for Kurt Russell to battle with.
Aaron N

Billy: You the fella looking for his wife? A damn good thriller that cuts off most of the fat and keeps everything moving. Its well made and stars Kurt Russell, suspend a little disbelief and you can have an exciting time. Russell plays Jeff, a man taking a cross country road trip… More
Billy: You the fella looking for his wife? A damn good thriller that cuts off most of the fat and keeps everything moving. Its well made and stars Kurt Russell, suspend a little disbelief and you can have an exciting time. Russell plays Jeff, a man taking a cross country road trip with his wife, played by Kathleen Quinlan, who begins the worst day of his life with his car breaking down in a desert area in the southwest. A truck arrives with seemingly good intentions. The driver gives Jeff's wife a ride into town, while Jeff waits for a tow truck. More problems arise once Jeff manages to start the car, arrive at the place he believes his wife to be, only to not be able to find her. Jeff eventually tracks down the driver and stops him, only to have the driver claim to have never seen him before. A new twist emerges. Red: You're a tough man to get a hold of, Jeffery. Jeff: What do you want? Red: It's not what I want, it's what you want, and how bad you want it. 'Cause it's gonna cost you. Can't show it to you right now, but it's about 5'5", 115 pounds, three or four of that just pure tit. Nice curly brown hair, upstairs and down. Interested? This movie clocks in at about 90 minutes and doesn't waste much time. We don't have an extended beginning with the couple first starting out, they're already on the road. We don't get drawn out motives of the characters, it is all given in a reasonable manner. The movie keeps itself fairly low key and only amps up more and more as the film goes on. Kurt Russell playing an everyman is effective enough, even if he has to do some crazy things to try and get his wife back. Its a fairly simple premise that works due to how competently made it is and its fast pace. Earl: What a man needs out here is a CB radio. Jeff Taylor: Is that right? Earl: 'Course, if you use a CB, you gotta have a handle. I'm thinking for you, "Shit For Brains."
Lady D

Not a bad film, although it did feel more like an 80's film than a 90's, with a slight resemblance to 'The Vanishing' Very predictable, but has a bit of a tense feel to it.
Tsubaki S

Standard and easy to forget thriller.
Dean !

A very good thriller, well acted and with a good story to. Has some great scenes, action and tension all the way. Quite a few well known faces in this surprised it slip me by!
Dean M

This chilling thriller film has laced with the same sense of foreboding and feeling of impending dread as The Vanishing, Deliverance and Duel. It turns a stranded motorist scenario into a seamless blend of panic, anguish, and… More
This chilling thriller film has laced with the same sense of foreboding and feeling of impending dread as The Vanishing, Deliverance and Duel. It turns a stranded motorist scenario into a seamless blend of panic, anguish, and crackerjack action scenes.
Candy R

Very creepy movie about a couple who's car breaks down. She goes missing after she hitches a ride.
Justin Y

Well told story that will keep you wondering what's going to happen next. It is slow paced with not much action at all, but there is a pretty decent car/truck chase at the end. Also, if your a fan of Kathleen Quinlan, you may be disappointed because she is pretty much… More
Well told story that will keep you wondering what's going to happen next. It is slow paced with not much action at all, but there is a pretty decent car/truck chase at the end. Also, if your a fan of Kathleen Quinlan, you may be disappointed because she is pretty much non-existent in this movie.
Jens S

Very convoncing action thriller. Especially the first 30 minutes leave the audience as confused and helpless as the main character, whose wife took a ride with a trucker after their car broke down and disappears. After that the movie keeps the high level of Hitchcock-esque suspense… More
Very convoncing action thriller. Especially the first 30 minutes leave the audience as confused and helpless as the main character, whose wife took a ride with a trucker after their car broke down and disappears. After that the movie keeps the high level of Hitchcock-esque suspense and adds some action, leading into a very exciting showdown.
James A

Well russel does have a strong chin.
Deb S

A couple is taking the scenic route in their brand new ride and everything seems to be going perfectly until they almost hit a pick-up truck with a couple of rednecks in it. They decide to take a little break at the next gas station but they meet the same guys again and it… More
A couple is taking the scenic route in their brand new ride and everything seems to be going perfectly until they almost hit a pick-up truck with a couple of rednecks in it. They decide to take a little break at the next gas station but they meet the same guys again and it doesn't take long before they have an argument with the driver. The couple decides to continue their journey and try to forget about the unfortunate incident but all of a sudden their car breaks down Ieading to the beginning of a series of events in which the wife mysteriously disappears. Kurt Russell gives a great performance as a frantic husband desperate to find his wife Kathleen Quinlan before the unthinkable happens while J.T. Walsh did a wonderful job as the main bad guy and there is also the 'psycho cowboy' whose answer to everything is extreme violence - I was wishing he would meet a very nasty end. The closing retribution scene is a corker but the whole movie leaves the viewer with a rather unsettled feeling of the evil people lurking in this world. My only complaint here is that Kathleen Quinlan does little but scream and look helpless! An underrated thriller from the 90's that is really suspenseful with nail-biting suspense from beginning to end.
Lee K

kurt russell is awesome in this yet another my spouse has gone missing pic