A true 'noir' classic, this film's well-deserved reputation preceeds it; it's dark, brooding & totally mesmerizing. Tom Neal and Ann Savage are nothing short of brilliant -- this is unquestionably the best work ever done by both; Neal's deepening desperation is well-matched by Savage's spitting portrayal of evil incarnate. Get this one; don't hesitate, don't second-guess yourself -- GET IT!!

This is top of the line film noir. Tom Neal plays a man unexpectedly drawn into a web of murder and blckmail. His acting is deep and you can feel the sadness in his character. Ann Savage is among the most sinister and vicious femme fatales found in this type of movie. I found myself hating her character because she played the part so well. Although there are a few other characters - especially the man whose death causes all the drama in the film - Neal and Savage are virtually alone, fighting each other and themelves in a bitter war of greed. And be ready for a surprise ending that will leave you shocked.

Bleak, fatalistic, and wonderful. A paranoid loser of a piano player hitch-hiking cross-country swaps identities with a man who (in)conveniently dies while giving him a ride and is then himself trapped, when he picks up the dying, vicious hitch-hiker Ann Savage, into a bizarre plot involving that same identity. Great themes, such as taking responsibility for one's actions vs. fate at the hands of an indifferent universe, and the reliability of the narration, with classic film noir.

What a great B movie clasic. Ann Savage is pure evil. I highly recamend to crime drama fans.

Told in flashback, this is one stark tale, believe me. The archetypical victim of circumstance, Tom Neal travels from the gutter to the gallows in no time flat, and Ann Savage steers him unfailingly towards personal disaster. Neal's character is only borderline sympathetic---after all, this IS film noir---while Savage's Vera is completely reprehensible. DETOUR is a gritty, grimy tale that defined American film noir.