Billy Bob Thornton steals the show with a performance that's equal parts funny and threatening as Darrell, a grimy mechanic who refuses to fix Bobby's car without giving him the runaround. Thornton's chemistry with Penn elevates Darrell from just another obstacle in Bobby's path to a fully realized villain on par with the film's other major antagonists.
The 1990s were incredibly prolific for Oliver Stone , so you can be forgiven for missing U Turn . Released in 1997, a few years after Natural Born Killers and a couple of years before Any Given Sunday, this nasty and nihilistic film was far from the more prestigious releases that defined his late ’80s and early ‘90s projects.
Even for a guy who’s never been one to care what critics say, few other Stone projects are as divisive as this one. From its high-octane opening credits, the film drops audiences into a sun-scorched, drug-fueled nightmare version of Arizona with Sean Penn’s Bobby. He’s a desperate drifter in over his head with the Russian mafia who ends up stuck in a town that only grows more hostile as his time there stretches on.
It’s long been dismissed as one of Stone’s messier efforts, but that criticism’s exactly why it’s still worth checking out. You’ll see once you meet Billy Bob Thornton as Darrell, U Turn’s filthiest and funniest character. Billy Bob Thornton Steals 'U Turn' With a Performance That's Equal Parts Funny and Threatening When Bobby’s car breaks down on the way to Vegas, he’s left with no choice but to pull into the nearest town for help.
It’s a classic neo-noir setup, very much in vogue at the time thanks to some of Sundance's biggest hits of the '80s and '90s, such as the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. These modern-day film noirs started a movement by putting a contemporary spin on award-winning Old Hollywood crime-dramas of yesteryear.
As Darrell, a grimy mechanic who refuses to fix Bobby’s car without giving him the runaround, Thornton transforms what could have been a minor role into the film’s most memorable presence. From the moment he rolls out from underneath a junked car all grease-stained and snaggle-toothed, he’s chewing scenery like the role was written just for him. Related The 15 Best Oliver Stone Movies, Ranked Natural born filmmaker.
Posts 1 By Luc Haasbroek His physicality alone tells a story — the slouched posture, the filthy tank top riding up to reveal his stomach — but what makes Thornton’s performance most effective is his rapport with Penn. He plays Darrell with a disarming humor, leaning into this persona as one of the self-described “simple folk,” complete with an exaggerated take on his already thick southern drawl. But that's not to say Thornton’s phoning it in as some stereotypical yokel.
He takes the archetypal character and adds something darker, more sinister-like to the mix. There’s a volatility to his presence, a sense that this interaction could quickly turn hostile without warning if Bobby says or does the wrong thing. It’s this delicate balance between comedy and threat that makes you sit up a little straighter and lean in every time Thornton’s character is on the screen.
'U Turn' Has Aged Into a Cult Favorite Crime Thriller Thanks to Thornton's Performance Even in a film where nearly every character is morally compromised , Thornton sticks with you more than the others. Bobby’s been swept up in a kind of moral vacuum, a cyclone of depravity pulling him deeper and deeper toward the point of no return.
With Thornton, Darrell is elevated from just another obstacle in Bobby’s path to a fully realized villain on par with the film’s other major antagonists. It’s a testament to both his performance and his understanding of the film’s tone. He embraces the gonzo, revels in the excess, and channels it into something quite memorable.
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Viewed through a modern lens, U Turn feels less like a filmmaker pushing his style to its limits in service of a deliberately ugly story. The film’s lack of redeemable characters could be seen as a flaw, but it ultimately feels like a commitment to its noir roots. Today, it’s found a second life on Tubi, where its rough edges and uncompromising tone feel decidedly more at home.
Removed from the expectations that came with following such smash hits as Born on the Fourth of July and JFK, the film can finally be appreciated for what it is: a messy, ambitious, sickening, and often darkly funny neo-noir that refuses to play it safe. And while opinions on the film as a whole are bound to stay divided, at the center of it all is Thornton, whose performance makes it well worth your while.
U Turn Like R Crime Drama Thriller Release Date October 3, 1997 Runtime 125 minutes Director Oliver Stone Writers John Ridley Producers Clayton Townsend Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
U Turn Oliver Stone Sean Penn Billy Bob Thornton Neo-Noir Film Noir Darrell Baroque Minimalism Descent Into Madness Detour Film
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