Nowhere to Run (1989) User Reviews

Try again.

[vertigo_14 · 3/10 · 2 February 2004]

Nowhere to Run is like two movies smushed into one film. It's the 1960s. You have the plot of the coming-of-age high school seniors lead by hot shot Howard (Jason Priestly) and followed by the timid Jerry Lee (Kieran Mulroney). Just a bunch of kids looking for a good time.

On the other hand, you have the murder mystery aspect with Harmon (David Carradine) who pays off the cops and junk to get himself out of jail. And he's come back to that biayou town looking for his money. He's a very creepy, quiet kind of guy.

Then the two stories merge when the teengers figure out that the Mayoral candidate helped pay Harmon's way out of jail, and suddenly they become Harmon's new target as he tries to shut them up.

The first time I watched this movie, I was slightly satisfied, only having watched it in the first place because Matt Adler was in it. But, watching it again, I was disappointed by how slow the story moves along, which is quite annoying. First, you have to wade through all this "what are you going to do after high school" sentimental falling in love crap that could have made a separate dull drama in itself. And then, you have what could have been an interesting mystery plot, but it gets bogged down in all of the corniness of the horny teenagers in love mess.

It is far too slow and too ridiculous to enjoy.

Confused about what it is

[UptownRox · 3/10 · 3 July 2017]

Other reviewer is spot on. This one can't decide if it's a 50's style teen movie, or a small-town murder mystery. Which is a shame because the cast is good and the acting pretty solid. It's far inferior in style, tension, and seriousness to Franklin's next movie One False Move, which is what I thought this movie would be like.

Poor drama

[lor_ · 17 April 2023]

My review was written in September 1989 after watching the film on MGM/UA video cassette.

"Nowhere to Run" is an unconvincing, poorly scripted nostalgia piece lamely trying to merge "American Graffiti" with that classic noir "Phenix City Story". It's in regional theatrical release awaiting its date with video destiny next month.

Title confusion here is rampant. Pic initially was released as "Temptation Blues' and had earlier shooting tiles of "Caddo Lake" and "Heroes Stand Alone", the "Heroes" moniker has since been reassigned to another Concorde picture made in South America starring Chad Everett. Besides a 1978 tv movie by that name, two new productions also are called (tentatively): "Nowhere to Run" -a Sandy Tung-helmed pic starring Rick Schroeder and a soon-to-roll Cannon/Pathe project.

This edition is set at a Texas high school in 1960 where in between puppy love romances, all the students are planning what object to put in the time capsule for posterity. Caddo County (actually lensed in California) is filled with corruption. Local crime boss David Carradine has just been sprung from jail and is warring with rival politicians (notably he judge, played by Henry Jones) over control of local rackets.

Hero Kieran Mulrony becomes involved when he goes to work at Carradine's bait house and witnesses many things he shouldn't. Contrived script has Carradine going on the revenge warpath, with a whirlwind final reel of stupid plot twists handled quite syncially. Writers Jack Canson and Nancy Barr obviously didn't take this one seriously, as in a serious scene punctuated by anachronistic dialog such as "It's a done deal".

Overburdened by explanatory voice-over narration by Mulroney, pic is pleasantly directed by Carl Franklin except for a botched incest subplot. Pretty heroine Jillian McWhirter has been raped by her dad (Andy Wood), who's running for office. This fact is relied upon for several of the final plot twists and doesn't work at all.

Acting is okay, with a standout turn by sexy Brenda Bakke as Carradine's ex-wife and resident good time girl.