Lately it seems suspense has turned into someone chasing someone else with a knife or something involving a car chase scene. It seems in recent years suspense has been shown in a tangible way, or something that you can see. I believe the best suspense is when your mind is played with. I enjoy a movie that plays with my head. Back in the old day, Hitchcock used to use many scenes in which he would set up a situation that would make your heart beat faster, not because of something like a chase sequence but just because of the spookiness that was set up by the plot. Also the plot often had thing that could easily happen to anyone. The great suspense is when a screenwriter/director can set up plot twists that are unusual or unsuspected that it makes you shiver and wonder what will happen next. That is what really gets my suspense level up. I just hope directors today will see that the ol guy chases girl with chainsaw/knife isn't that suspenseful anymore because it looks fake and the viewer usually knows what will happen.

In the film "Breakdown," there are many plot twists that occur. Since these are surprising twists I will try to limit my plot summary as to not give too much away. The basic plot, is that a man (Kurt Russel) and his wife (Kathleen Quinlan) are driving through the desert and his wife just happens to disappear. We have no idea what happened to her and where she could possibly be. It's like she vanished in thin air. The man then goes in searches for her to no avail and you are left there wondering how this mystery could possibly solve itself since it seems like there are no traces left of the man's lost wife. It happens in such a bizarre way that you feel yourself yelling at the screen and saying "what just happened" and "find her dammit!" It's very spooky and you keep wondering what will happen next. It's almost like watching it live, there are no obvious things that can happen. You just find yourself caught up in the man's struggle to find his lost wife.

Also, the movie is good because it is done in such a realistic way that the viewer watches it more closely because it feels like something that could happen to anyone. I even started thinking to myself, what if this happen to a loved one that I know? What would I do in this situation? How would I react? Films that are able to feel realistic are more meaningful because the viewer of the movie can make a connection to it. The main character faces alot of choices he has to make and when watching the film, I felt like I was saying to myself what he should and shouldn't do. Being able to involve myself in the plot is a sure winner to me because it's almost like an interactive movie, one that I won't be able to fall asleep watching because I'll keep worrying what will happen next almost as if I was in the movie.

I like how the film was taped in the desert. First of all, it gave the film a more of a lonely and spooky look. It made you feel all alone just like the main character as he looked for his wife. He couldnt just go ask around too many people if they had seen her. His options were limited, which made the suspense build up more. The desert had no distractions that kept you away from the plot. It was just you and the man and the mystery.

The only two negative parts of the film are a bank scene which is cut abruptly. It almost seemed like the director didn't know how to make the scene work so he just gave up on it. It's pretty obvious if you watch. Also at the end of the film, the action taken of revenge is done in a gruesome fashion that is not usually seen in hollywood. It is not gory, yet it just seems uncalled for as a villain who is already disabled and helpless is killed off unnaturally.

Yet besides this few flaws, the movie works well because the suspense is kept high and your mind is kept puzzled. I especially love the beginning parts of the film, when every little action and detail means alot and is not wasted. It draws you in very early with these clever scenes and keeps you interested in what will happen. The horror and distress felt by the main character is carried on well into the viewers mind and it involves us in a way that will keep us on the edge of our seats. Kurt Russell, whom I usually do not think highly of, did a great job in this film. He's very convincing in his role as he goes from a regular guy to an Indiana Jones type figure. He shows the fear and terror that his character faces, and we all can feel it too.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age