What if you knew you could go ahead and live out your most despicable thoughts and know that in the end it never really happened? To be honest, that’s what most of us try and do in the video games we play and movies we watch. But how would it affect our decision making if it’s something that really could happen? That’s the interesting premise for this next movie Detour.
Its official synopsis gives us an interesting idea of what we can expect from the movie:
Harper (Tye Sheridan), a seemingly naive law student, obsesses over the idea that his shifty stepfather was involved in the devastating car crash that left his mother hospitalized and comatose. He drowns his suspicions in whiskey until he finds himself suddenly engrossed in conversation with volatile grifter Johnny (Emory Cohen) and his stripper companion, Cherry (Bel Powley). As daylight breaks and the haziness of promises made becomes clearer, how will Harper handle the repercussions (not to mention the violent duo—on his doorstep)? Employing a split-narrative structure to tell this tale of deception and murder, Christopher Smith takes his audience on a thrill ride full of hairpin turns, where it’s never quite clear what or who can be trusted.
It certainly is an interesting concept, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good. The trailer has landed though, so we can start getting an idea of what to expect ourselves:
And it certainly looks interesting. While I’m not a fan of split screen narratives, this is a story that fits into the concept. Outside of the great concept, the rest doesn’t leave me too excited, but still it seems like one of those movies that is going to surprise you a lot. It’s an indie film shot on a low budget, so we shouldn’t expect amazing production value, but this could definitely be a film that has the execution to back up its unique approach.
Detour stars Tye Sheridan, Emory Cohen and Bel Powley and is directed by Christopher Smith. The movie is set for release in both theatres and VOD on January 20th.
I wish I could live my life like this with movies, that way if I’m watching a real stinker I can just change my mind and get the time back for not watching it. If only life could give us these small mercies.
Last Updated: November 24, 2016
