12 underrated movie gems

Breakdown (1997)
On a cross-country drive, in a desolate stretch of the Southwest, a nice guy (Kurt Russell) and his wife (Kathleen Quinlan) get stranded, and she goes missing. Director/co-writer Jonathan Mostow's R-rated thriller is a minor masterpiece of gritty, convincing, at times unbearably suspenseful action. While it was a sleeper hit when it came out, it has been largely and unjustly forgotten. But 13 years later, it holds up way better than so many flashier action flicks — though Russell's giant cell phone is good for a laugh, and of course the damn thing never works when he needs it most. —Jess Cagle

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