After their new Jeep conks out on a desolate stretch of Arizona highway, a well-heeled Massachusetts couple accepts the help of a polite and seemingly honest trucker (J.T. Walsh), who drives the wife (Kathleen Quinlan) to a diner while the husband (Kurt Russell) stays behind to "protect" the vehicle. After saying goodbye, the husband gets two surprises--the Jeep starts, and his wife never actually arrived at the diner. What's more, the trucker doesn't recollect having picked her up at all. This taut suspense film, directed by Jonathan Mostow, is light on special-effects bombasticism and heavy on the old-fashioned Hitchcockian chills.
Review 1:
"...Well-conceived....Fresh and exciting..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars
Source: USA Today
p.13D 05/09/1997
Review 2:
"...BREAKDOWN is a tough, vigorous exercise in pure action, shot with throwback expertise and, most refreshingly, without special effects..."
Source: New York Times
p.C10 05/02/1997
Review 3:
"...A powerfully nerve-racking contemporary thriller....Fresh..." -- Rating: A-
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.54-5 05/09/1997
Review 4:
"...This is a really solid first feature, and the best cardiovascular workout you're likely to have in a sitting position this year..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.F1 05/02/1997
Review 5:
"...BREAKDOWN is taut, skillful and surgically effective....BREAKDOWN is a fine thriller..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.35 05/02/1997