Critic Reviews

• Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post

  "Detour" does a fine job of giving drivers yet another reason to stress out, but that anxiety doesn't extend to its hero's fate.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  At times the groan and scream of collapsing metal sounds so authentic you might mistake Jackson's heavy breathing for your own.

• Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

  "Nothing to do but wait," Jackson says early on, in the hopes of a quick response from emergency services. That's sitting through "Detour" in a nutshell.

• Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

  This taut and effective thriller produces maximum suspense with a minimum of means.

• Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice

  During the best sequences, Detour feels like three heady improvisations all happening at once ...

• Jamie S. Rich, Oregonian

  Actor Neil Hopkins (TV 's "Lost") does his best to make the panic come alive, but writer/director William Dickerson fails to create a convincing sense of peril.

• Scott Wold, Paste Magazine

  Despite doubling as a plausibility-straining endorsement for the battery life of Apple's iPhone, Dickerson's claustrophobic survival thriller proves itself a technically proficient, expertly paced affair.

• Jason Buchanan, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  A deeply immersive exercise in low-budget suspense from start to finish.

• Elias Savada, Film Threat

  For every breath he's grasping for, you're holding one in, anticipating what might follow.

• Brent Simon, Shockya.com

  While not lacking for decent acting or technical execution, Detour lacks a compelling enough arc to sustain what might have worked much better as a short film.

• Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru

  A suspenseful, intense and horrifying thriller boasting a raw performance by Neil Hopkins.

• Eric Monder, Film Journal International

  The latest "survival in a confined space" thriller, Detour doesn't take enough of a turn from expected generic conventions.

• Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

  It's easy to get bored by the necessary repetition found in a setup like this, but the script finds more than a few ways to keep things moving.

• Roger Moore, Movie Nation

  A buried alive picture that puts you in there, trying to reason your way out with our hero.

• Scott Tobias, AV Club

  Dickerson passes on the occasion for existential drama and goes for the race-against-the-clock urgency of an ordinary guy trying to crawl out of his predicament. It's effective enough, but there isn't much to it.

• Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat

  In spite of a few significant flaws, Detour builds to a conclusion that sends you out the door shaken and thankful to see light.

• Alan Jones, Slant Magazine

  In comparison to its superior predecessors, Detour's redemption plot feels banal and slight.

Read all 17 critic reviews