Delusion (1991) Reviews

• Spectacular, one of a kind, not to be missed.

  mesocricetus_squatus2003-10-04

  This movie is flawless. The characters, the plot, dialogue, and the hauntingly beautiful scenery combine to make a movie that is breathtaking. The story is plausible and fascinating, the timing perfect. George O'Brien (Jim Metzler) plays a clean-cut, yuppyish computer executive who takes off from Southern California to set up a new operation in Reno with almost half a million dollars in embezzled money in the trunk of his car (Volvo, of course). He suddenly finds himself on a collision course with a different world when he stops on a lonely stretch of highway near Death Valley and picks up a young couple who have rolled their car on the side of the highway. The duo, perky Patti (Jennifer Rubin) and her sickly companion Chevy (Kyle Secor), quickly turn out to be far more trouble than George could ever have imagined. The way the personalities of the characters unfold is psychological drama at its absolute finest. At first George cringes at the sophomoric banter of his two passengers, a sleazy gambler and his part-showgirl, part-prostitute "better half." But things get really edgy as George tries to part ways with the luckless pair, and soon he finds himself and his car taken hostage at the point of a gun. As the story moves forward forward at an even pace, so does the viewer's insight into the complex personalities of the three main characters. Patti is as much a survivor as Chevy is a pathological and abusive hoodlum. This is one production that deserves to be watched thoughtfully and attentively. Every piece of dialogue, even the smallest gesture, carries its own bit of symbolism, clues to the troubled lives of the hitchhikers and the confusion and mounting terror felt by their unwilling host. This movie accomplishes more with body language than others achieve with the most spectacular visual effects. Even minor characters like Robert Costanzo, who plays a tawdry Las Vegas mobster, and Jerry Orbach as his inconvenient operative, are fascinating and memorable. As a visual experience, this film is stunning. The vast, gorgeous desert scenery frames both players and plot with an awesome melancholy. A preacher appearing on a flickering television screen in a low-rent motel room is a metaphor for all that is hopeless, while the zombie-like Arabella, seen for scarcely a minute in a Vegas hotel suite, brings to mind an even more chilling image of woman as bimbo without a soul. Patti, more than any character in this story, is full of contradictions. Her motives and choices can never be predicted, not from the vantage point of the viewer and certainly not by those with whom she must share this part of her life. If the definitive mark of the film noir is the interaction between tragic, troubled people with conflicting agendas, this is the future face of the genre. It is truly a work of art; not a moment is without meaning. Delusion is a satisfying, mesmerizing movie, one that gets better and better with every viewing.

• The most original film I have ever seen

  alvoalvo2001-03-07

  The first time I saw Delusion was as a fluke ten years ago when it first came out. I saw it again today, and I am still shocked by how well it is written! The desert setting is very tangible and serves as a stark backdrop for the three central characters. Delusion is basically a Western molded into an early 90's thriller in a VERY creative way. It just keeps getting better and better, especially the closing scenes.

• An Intense Thriller That Is Very Unpredictable!

  gitrich1999-06-19

  Delusion is a smart piece of work from director Carl Copaert that takes us on an intense journey through the desert of Death Valley. There are some questionable turns that don't seem logical, but for the most part, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It involves a computer/embezzler and his experiences after giving a Las Vegas show girl and her strange acting boyfriend a lift. The ending will surprise you.

• Enjoyable, twist-a-minute late-night fare.

  jayson_firestorm2002-07-01

  An entertaining late-night film (I found myself watching it at 1a.m. one night) with twists and turns a-plenty in the plot. A computer whiz (Jim Metzler) who faces redundancy, is driving through the desert, fleeing with a vast sum of embezzled company funds, when he is duped into picking up a curious but seemingly harmless young couple (Kyle Secor and Jennifer Rubin) - unaware that, amongst other things, the seemingly goofy boyfriend is actually a professional killer hired to kill him. From there, things take numerous turns far too complex to attempt explaining here, but sufficient to say, there's a plot twist awaiting around every corner. Just as the film sets out to follow one scenario - each of which would usually be sufficient for the entire plot of a late night film of this genre - suddenly things are turned on their head and the story takes a different direction. Don't pop out to get a drink else you'll miss a vital turn and spend ages trying to catch up with whats happening! The cast is mostly unknown (seen performing in other B-movies at most) but don't be put off, as each of the leads deliver solid, watchable performances. Things begin to get a little shaky an hour or so in, with the late stages of the film maybe not as good as early on, but not enough to damage the film overall. All-in-all, for what this film is - essentially a late-night B-movie - its above average compared to many of its counterparts, thanks to good performances and the twist-a-minute plot.

• Spectacular, One of a Kind

  mesocricetus_squatus2003-10-04

  This movie is flawless. The characters, the plot, dialogue, and the hauntingly beautiful scenery combine to make a movie that is breathtaking. The story is plausible and fascinating, the timing perfect. George O'Brien (Jim Metzler) plays a clean-cut, yuppyish computer executive who takes off from Southern California for Reno with almost half a million dollars in embezzled money in the trunk of his car (Volvo, of course) to set up a new operation in Reno. He suddenly finds himself in a different world when he stops on a lonely stretch of highway near Death Valley and picks up a young couple who have rolled their car on the side of the highway. The duo, perky Patti (Jennifer Rubin) and her sickly companion Chevy (Kyle Secor), quickly turn out to be far more trouble than George could ever have imagined. The way the personalities of the characters unfold is psychological drama at its absolute finest. At first George cringes at the sophomoric banter of his two passengers, a sleazy gambler and his part-showgirl, part-prostitute "better half." But things get really edgy when he tries to part ways with the luckless pair, and soon George finds himself and his car taken hostage at the point of a gun. As the story moves quickly along, so does the viewer's insight into the complex personalities of the three main characters. Patti is as much a survivor as Chevy is a pathological and abusive hoodlum. The movie deserves to be viewed over and over again. Every piece of dialogue, even the smallest gesture, carries its own bit of symbolism, clues to the troubled lives of the hitchhikers and the confusion and mounting terror felt by their unwilling host. This movie accomplishes more with body language than others achieve with the most spectacular visual effects. Even minor characters like Robert Costanzo, who plays a tawdry Las Vegas mobster, and Jerry Orbach as his inconvenient operative, are fascinating and memorable. If the definitive mark of the film noir is the interaction between tragic, troubled people with conflicting agendas, this is the future face of the genre. There isn't a meaningless moment.