If you ask about the most exciting movies of all time, the answer will probably always be pretty much the same. The shortlist certainly includes nerve-wracking masterpieces such as ‘Wages of Fear’, ‘Jaws’, ‘The Marathon Man’, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, ‘Seven’ or ‘Prisoners’. However, a film that also belongs in this list is repeatedly criminally ignored: “Breaking downfrom 1997.
In Jonathan Mostow’s sweaty thriller, Kurt Russell searches for his wife after she appears to have been kidnapped by a truck driver in the middle of the desert. It sounds exciting, and it is – and how! Haven’t you seen ‘Breakdown’ yet? Today, January 31 at 11:15 PM you can catch up with ZDF Neo.
That’s what ‘Breakdown’ is about
Couple Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan) travel through the desert. After all, an unwanted stop has to be made due to car trouble. Fortunately, friendly truck driver Warren (JT Walsh) offers help. So while Amy tries to arrange help by phone at the next rest stop, Jeff manages to get the car running again.
He drives to the rest stop, but Amy is nowhere to be found. Jeff then panics in search of his wife – and is soon confronted with a terrible reality…
It couldn’t be more exciting!
The premise of ‘Breakdown’ may not be particularly innovative. The Dutch masterpiece ‘Gone Without a Trace’, which truly defined the style in its sheer inscrutability, impressively set the course. But that does not matter, Because ‘Breakdown’ is an excellent genre film that knows exactly which levers to use to keep the audience interested.
With a crisp running time of just over 90 minutes, director Jonathan Mostow, who also co-wrote the script with Sam Montgomery, wastes no time in getting the horror scenario going. As a viewer, you can easily imagine yourself in the situation of Jeff, who, in total helplessness due to the disappearance of his loved ones, has to surpass himself – but without becoming a superhuman.
When it comes to high voltage, ‘Breakdown’ pushes the accelerator almost all the way to the stop and not only shows the abysses of the American hinterland (here are also memories of the Rutger Hauer classic ‘Hitcher’ or the 2001 ‘Joyride’ ” with Paul Walker awakens). He also consistently stays close to the reality of his characters’ lives, which means: Never a step is taken too far making the story seem unbelievable. Precisely because of its tangibility, ‘Breakdown’ proves to be an extremely strenuous affair.