Instant Favorite.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

A movie with tension from beginning to end, with an interesting method of fading to still black and white image every time there is a scene change or the location is changed.This works all but once, when it is used in the middle of a busy chase scene towards the end.If you like a movie set almost entirely at night, with some very lost and scared protagonists on the run and trying to make it back home, then this is one to check out.

At the time this movie was probably forgotten among the sea of classics from the 80s.While I try not to spoil the plot of a thriller such as this, in some cases it is inevitable so please read cautiously. Richard Thomas and the lovely Mary Crosby play a small town couple (Marty and Susan Campbell) who are visiting the city. Marty is here to create some business while Susan has come along for shopping and company. The build up to the drama and threat that follows is rather well crafted, for example Marty's navigation and direction taking skills are shown to be 'not good' from the start and while his character is smart, his vulnerability due to the quick emotional decisions he makes its portrayed very well. Richard Thomas is no stranger to playing multi-layered characters and his performance in this raises the movie above the TV level standards. I also liked the performance of Mary Crosby as Susan, she brings a very lovable innocence and strength to the character, again making the chase scenes more thrilling because you care about her character so much. While some of the scenes do not follow the logic you think they should (ie why didn't they persist in calling a taxi or persist in calling the police? etc) the performances of the two characters are so well crafted by Richard Thomas and Susan Crosby (there is definitely a chemistry between them which is great on screen.) that you will care about Marty and Susan and their decisions become more believable within the context of the story. There are some thrilling set pieces, such as the sewer sequence, the chase on the subway train, the phone booth sequence and the final chase. Definitely worth a watch - a popcorn evening thriller with some nice drama.

The problem with this sort of movie is that you watch it and find yourself saying or thinking either what you would have done if you were in that situation or what the protagonists ought to have done. It is hard to just switch off and accept that the characters would really do what they are doing or that the events would unfold in the way that they do if they are implausible.But, of course, when a possible way out of danger takes place only halfway through the movie, you know it is going to fail. The movie raised these questions for me: 1. Would everything really just grind to a halt like that as early as 7:00pm? 2. Would people really be that unhelpful in that part of town? 3. Would the streets really be so deserted? 4. Surely, sooner or later they would have stumbled upon a hotel/motel? 5. If someone offered to pay you to drive them somewhere that was a short distance away and they looked reasonably sane, wouldn't you at least try to negotiate? It reminded me of 'The Warriors', where the streets are made to seem more menacing by the use of camera angles and music. The street-gang seems hellbent on getting the couple for little more reason than taking a shine to the wife ... but was this enough motivation? They are all set to kill the husband when he had done nothing to provoke it. Only at the end are the police shown to be helpful. It was like in that part of town, you are only safe in daylight. But there is only 1 street-gang roaming these 'mean streets' and they are suitably toned down to TV movie level ... no guns, no foul language.The Marty character seems a bit too unhinged too early ... he beats himself up because he went to the wrong bar for a business meeting and seems insecure that he is trying to make it in business on his own. It seems a little signposted that he is going to snap later. He ends up smashing store windows as if to be saying 'If this doesn't bring the police, then nothing will' and naturally it doesn't. The two main characters ask 'Why can't we just get out of this?' and you might share that frustration too. To rely on public payphones seems ludicrous today but one has to remember the movie was made and set in 1985 but I was cringing during the scene where Marty tries to get the police to come to his aid by saying he is near a building called 'Mill something Building' and the cop says 'You are near a mill?'. And the number of the payphone has numbers scratched out so that can't help either and the police can't trace the call very quickly. And then the police ring Marty back on the payphone (we assume it is the police) so they know which payphone he used but still don't send a squad car and the gang-member hears the phone ring. This is all supposed to add suspense and danger but is annoying.

This movie was filmed in Chicago Illinois. I was unemployed and looking for work when I stumbled upon this movie being filmed. The movie underwent many title changes before it was released. I think the plot was original but the way it was laid out could have been better. During the filming of this movie, both of the leads walked around downtown without bodyguards and melted into the crowd. It was as if nobody knew there were celebrities around. I got to meet both leads and I talked to Richard Thomas but he went to a limo and fell asleep before I could get his autograph. On the other hand, they called Mary Crosby to the set for a scene in which they thought she was needed but she wasn't. She went back to her trailer and en route, I tapped her on the shoulder (ok not a smart move but it worked out) and got her autograph. She was very nice about it. I'm sorry they were stuck in such a somewhat lame movie especially since they are very good actors and deserved better. I saw the finished product on TV and was pretty disappointed considering how hard the cast worked to make the movie a good one.