SimilarScreen
Breakdown

Breakdown

It could happen to you.

19976.91h 33m

Overview

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

Directed by Jonathan Mostow
Written by Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery
Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis
Box OfficeBudget: $36.0MRevenue: $50.2M

Top Cast

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell

Jeff Taylor

J. T. Walsh

J. T. Walsh

Warren 'Red' Barr

Kathleen Quinlan

Kathleen Quinlan

Amy Taylor

M.C. Gainey

M.C. Gainey

Earl

Jack Noseworthy

Jack Noseworthy

Billy

Rex Linn

Rex Linn

Sheriff Boyd

Ritch Brinkley

Ritch Brinkley

Al

Moira Sinise

Moira Sinise

Arleen Barr

Kim Robillard

Kim Robillard

Deputy Len Carver

Thomas Kopache

Thomas Kopache

Calhoun

Themes & Keywords

californiachaseransomkidnappingbankparanoianew mexicohighwaybarndinervacationdeceptionroad tripdonutmurderstrandedredneckextortioncaptivedeserttruck driverwoman in jeopardyabduction

About Breakdown

Breakdown is a crime, mystery, thriller, drama, action film released in 1997 exploring themes of california, chase, ransom, kidnapping, bank, paranoia. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, it stars Kurt Russell, J. T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan. On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

Movies Similar to Breakdown

Discover titles like Breakdown — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Breakdown

If you enjoyed Breakdown, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Breakdown.

Fargo
22% Match

Fargo(1996)

Movie7.8/10

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

Lost Highway
22% Match

A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

Heat
21% Match

Heat(1995)

Movie7.9/10

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

Strange Days
21% Match

In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue.

Charley Varrick
21% Match

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob as well.

U Turn
20% Match

U Turn(1997)

Movie6.6/10

When a desperate man’s car breaks down in a bizarre desert town while evading vengeful bookies, he becomes entangled in a dangerous love triangle. Caught between a married couple, he’s faced with deadly contracts to kill them both.

Zodiac
20% Match

Zodiac(2007)

Movie7.5/10

Over the course of a decade, editors of the San Francisco Chronicle entice themselves in the murders of the Zodiac Killer. However, as time runs its course, interest in the case dwindles in the eyes of the professionals. The Killer stops interacting with the public. However, believing he has the answers, an amateur cartoonist from the initial sightings races against time to prevent what he believes is another murder.

Alpha Dog
20% Match

Alpha Dog(2006)

Movie6.6/10

Johnny Truelove likes to see himself as tough. He's the son of an underworld figure and a drug dealer. Johnny also likes to get tough when things don't go his way. When Jake Mazursky fails to pay up for Johnny, things get worse for the Mazursky family, as Johnny and his 'gang' kidnap Jake's 15 year old brother and hold him hostage.

Cellular
20% Match

Cellular(2004)

Movie6.4/10

A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. She claims to have been kidnapped – and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.

Executive Decision
20% Match

Terrorists hijack a 747 inbound to Washington D.C., demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. Intelligence expert David Grant suspects another reason and he is soon the reluctant member of a special assault team that is assigned to intercept the plane and hijackers.

The Silence of the Lambs
19% Match

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Suicide Kings
19% Match

Carlo, a former mobster, is abducted by five privileged young men desperate to raise a $2 million ransom to save the sister of a friend. As Carlo plays mind games, however, his captors splinter -- each wondering whether one of their own had a hand in the crime.

Wonderland
19% Match

Wonderland(2003)

Movie6.1/10

On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes.

The Hitcher
19% Match

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to a hitchhiker. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim successfully throws him out of the car. This sets off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever.