Movies Like Detour (1945)

Detour is a 1945 drama, thriller film from Edgar G. Ulmer with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Hitch Hike and Thelma & Louise.

Drama Thriller

Hitch Hike

1977

A bickering couple driving cross-country pick up a murderous hitchhiker who threatens to kill them unless they take him to a sanctuary. In return he agrees to split some bank loot he has on him.

6.9

MagicScore

Thelma & Louise

1991

Taking a break from their dreary lives, close friends Thelma and Louise embark on a short weekend trip that ends in unforeseen incriminating circumstances. As fugitives, both women rediscover the strength of their bond and their newfound resilience.

7.6

MagicScore

The Hitcher

1986

On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.

7.0

MagicScore

Wristcutters: A Love Story

2007

Zia, distraught over breaking up with his girlfriend, decides to end it all. Unfortunately, he discovers that there is no real ending, only a run-down afterlife that is strikingly similar to his old one, just a bit worse. Discovering that his ex-girlfriend has also "offed" herself, he sets out on a road trip to find her.

7.0

MagicScore

The Rain People

1969

When a housewife finds out she is pregnant, she runs out of town looking for freedom to reevaluate her life decisions.

6.5

MagicScore

Cloudburst

2011

When Dot's granddaughter puts her into a nursing home, Stella stages a breakout, and takes Dot to Canada so they can get married. They pick up a hitchhiker along the way.

6.4

MagicScore

The Forsaken

2001

A young man is in a race against time as he searches for a cure after becoming infected with a virus that will eventually turn him into a blood-sucking vampire.

5.3

MagicScore

The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting

2003

A sadistic serial killer terrorizes a couple driving on a rural highway in Texas while killing numerous people and framing them for his killings.

4.7

MagicScore

They Drive by Night

1940

Joe and Paul Fabrini are Wildcat, or independent, truck drivers who have their own small one-truck business. The Fabrini boys constantly battle distributors, rivals and loan collectors, while trying to make a success of their transport company.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

The Hitch-Hiker

1953

Roy and Gilbert's fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, makes it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Near Dark

1987

A farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.

6.9

MagicScore

#12

Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana

1994

Two Finnish men agree to drive an Estonian woman and a Russian woman to a harbor.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

Kiss Me Deadly

1955

One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that "something big" is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.

7.2

MagicScore

#14

The Devil Thumbs a Ride

1947

Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Jenny Lamour

1947

Paris, France, December 1946. Jenny Lamour, an ambitious cabaret singer, and Maurice, her extremely jealous pianist husband, become involved in the thorough investigation of the murder of a shady businessman, led by Antoine, a peculiar and methodical police inspector.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

1998

Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

7.2

MagicScore

#17

The Soul Eater

2024

When the disappearance of children and bloody murders multiply in a small mountain village, an old legend shrouded in sulphur reappears... Commander Guardiano and Captain of the Gendarmerie De Rolan are forced to join forces to uncover the truth.

6.2

MagicScore

#18

Little Richard: I Am Everything

2023

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

6.4

MagicScore

#19

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Creepshow 2

1987

Three macabre tales from the latest issue of a boy's favorite comic book, dealing with a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and an undying hitchhiker.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Detour?

The top films similar to Detour by MovieMagicScore are Hitch Hike (6.9), Thelma & Louise (7.6), The Hitcher (7.0). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Detour worth watching?

Detour holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 383 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Detour?

Detour (1945) is a drama, thriller film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, starring Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake.

Where can I find more recommendations like Detour?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Hitch Hike Movies like Thelma & Louise Movies like The Hitcher Movies like Wristcutters: A Love Story Movies like The Rain People Movies like Cloudburst

About movies like Detour

This ranked list pairs Detour (1945), a drama and thriller film from Edgar G. Ulmer, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tom Neal take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to Detour