Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- paranoid
- stylized
- late night thriller viewing
- dark movie night
What critics said
Critics found a stylish but uneven crime thriller whose branching structure and performances were undermined by weak writing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Harper's night and its aftermath unfold through two alternate versions with different outcomes.
Harper wakes with a severe hangover and hazy memory of agreeing to Johnny Ray's murder plan.
A Los Angeles whiskey bar, revenge motive, coercive criminals, and fatalistic choices frame Harper's descent into crime.
Harper tries to withdraw from the murder arrangement but is pressured into traveling with Johnny Ray and Cherry.
Films like Detour, and why
Blood Simple
shares a morally compromised protagonist, criminal entanglement, and tense neo-noir atmosphere
Sliding Doors
shares alternate-outcome storytelling, mistaken decisions, and escalating crime-thriller tension
Cheap Thrills
shares a young protagonist trapped in a dangerous criminal scheme with darkly stylized suspense
Memento
shares revenge-driven plotting, unreliable memory, and fatalistic noir tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Smith
- Release Date
- 2017-01-20
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (208)
Cast
- Tye Sheridan
- Bel Powley
- Emory Cohen
- Stephen Moyer
- John Lynch
- Jared Abrahamson
- Gbenga Akinnagbe
- Deon Lotz
- Reine Swart
- Tamer Burjaq
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Detour about?
- A hungover law student is forced into a deadly road trip after an impulsive bargain with a volatile stranger exposes competing versions of his guilt.
- What is Detour like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Detour as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Detour violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Detour as moderate.
- What did critics think of Detour?
- Critics found a stylish but uneven crime thriller whose branching structure and performances were undermined by weak writing.
- Which films are like Detour?
- Films with a similar feel include Blood Simple, Sliding Doors, Cheap Thrills, and Memento.
- How long is Detour?
- Detour runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Detour?
- In United States, Detour streams on fuboTV, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel.
