Cutter's Way review

Ivan Passer's paranoid 'Nam veteran tale is still a chilling masterpiece 30 years on...

Reviews
By
Published

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Unlike fellow Czech expat Milos Forman, Ivan Passer never saw his US career really take off. But he directed a subversive masterpiece in Cutter’s Way (1981) a paranoid noir thriller.

One night Richard bone (Jeff bridges), a Santa Barbara gigolo, sees a mysterious figure dump a body in a trashcan.

When he tentatively identifies the killer as a powerful oil tycoon, mutilated Vietnam vet Cutter (John Heard) takes the idea and runs with it, dismissing the warnings of his wife (Lisa Eichhorn).

The three leads are on outstanding form, while Jack Nitzsche’s score shimmers with foreboding.

LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A Mustang in American Truck Simulator
    1
    American Truck Simulator adds DLC where you don't have to drive a truck, suddenly sets a new all-time Steam player record
  2. 2
    Nearly 20 years later, Guillermo del Toro finally confirms old BioShock movie rumors: "Probably one of the most disastrous calls I've ever had"
  3. 3
    Diablo 5 director responds to concerns the action RPG is more action than RPG: "Any challenge can be overcome with the right build"
  4. 4
    Rockstar flashes its wallet, says GTA 6 doesn't compromise on detail or scale: "I don't think we have ever created anything close to this before"
  5. 5
    GTA 6 devs spent years "going to strip clubs," "spending time on the beach," and riding with ex-cops to research Florida life