The Drifter

It may be a cheap movie without money but at last it says something and with a great cast and talent behind, i spent an excellent time ! It begins like « duel » in a red sand back road in California and the talent and charm of Kim pushes it right away… The situation is original and later this unpretentious thriller made in the 80s blossoms : the color, the interior design, the fashion, the cars, well everything is much cooler than our actual standardized 2K society ! Kim is really astounding as she is in every scene and it's one of her earliest movie ! She is definitely among my best actress list and this movie is really an unexpected surprise !

A lot better than your average low budget thriller. This had plot twists that I didn't see coming. Kim Delaney was so beautiful then. I first fell in love with her when she played Jenny Gardner on "All My Children." Her soap experience stood her in good stead for "damsel in distress" roles such as (partly) this. She is, of course, still beautiful, but her character in "NYPD Blue" is so much harder edged, that she comes off a bit less so in that part. Anyway, this is a pretty good film for one that no one's ever heard of.

Most of us enjoy it when we find a "small", non-big-budget film that surprises us with its adept use of limited resources. "The Drifter" is just such a movie. It is filled with 1980's stylistic touches, and the big hair, moral freedoms, etc., that let you know right away that you have returned to that time zone. So what? Movies, for the most part, are products of their age and we should not hesitate to enjoy them as such, despite some reviewers tendency to slash away at any film (and call it dated) that dared to celebrate its "current sensibilities".

"The Drifter" focused on its stalker theme and managed to do so with panache, plot twists, suspense, and ensemble acting that carries the viewer happily forward. There is a well done sense of unease that permeates the setup and then culminates with violent, frightening moments that cause the flick to bear repeating. This film is a good one to share with folks who appreciate when a "small" film over-delivers. Whatever you do, make sure you rent or buy this little thriller. If you catch it in edited form on television you will miss the "kick" from the plot twists and wonder why some of us admire it so much.

Driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Julia Robbins (Kim Delaney) picks up a hitchhiker (Miles O'Keefe) and has a one night stand with him. Back in the city, he soon turns into a stalker and starts calling her non-stop, which is bad news because she is in a relationship with a lawyer (Timothy Bottoms). This was one of the thousands of erotic thrillers unleashed after the success of Fatal Attraction (1987) and writer-director Larry Brand (who also plays a cop) does a nice job of turning convention on its ear by having the handsome O'Keefe as the unhinged, spurned lover. There are several twists in this one and Brand pulls them all off well. He would also make a Poe film for Corman (Masque of the Red Death) and a similar thriller (Overexposed with Catherine Oxenberg).

This was not outrageously wild or gory or intense but it keeps up a consistent suspense level. Kim plays her role well. She proves herself to be pretty ballsy under fearful circumstances so I respected her and I respected her as a hard-working professional.

There seems to be a blue color scheme in some of the scenes. Kim's wardrobe is well-chosen. The outdoor restaurant with the picnic tables and the bikers seems an apt, realistic locale. Kim's apartment is stylish, austerely furnished in New Mexico Native American style. So the movie has a certain amount of flair.

The concluding twist works adequately well. This low-key thriller was fairly enjoyable.