The air hangs thick and shimmering, distorting the edges of reality like cheap glass under a relentless sun. Superior, Arizona isn't just a setting in Oliver Stone's 1997 neo-noir nightmare, U Turn; it's a character, a malevolent entity radiating heat, desperation, and the distinct smell of bad decisions simmering just below the surface. You arrive with drifter Bobby Cooper (Sean Penn), his vintage Mustang radiator hose blown, stranding him in this purgatorial dust bowl, and from that moment, the film grabs you by the throat and rarely loosens its grip.
Nowhere Town, USA
Bobby just wants his car fixed and to get back on the road to Vegas to pay off a debt before some very unpleasant people remove his fingers. But Superior operates on its own twisted logic. The local mechanic, Darrell (Billy Bob Thornton, embodying greasy menace long before Bad Santa), is a possessive, slow-moving obstacle. The town itself seems populated exclusively by caricatures dredged from the bottom of a shot glass: the aggressively jealous young punk Toby N. Tucker, or TNT (Joaquin Phoenix, radiating twitchy danger), his naive girlfriend Jenny (Claire Danes), the blind Native American mystic (Jon Voight), and the imposing Sheriff Potter (Powers Boothe). Each encounter ratchets up the tension, layering on the feeling that this town isn't just unlucky; it's actively malevolent, a venus flytrap disguised as a rest stop. Penn, lean and perpetually sweating, perfectly conveys Bobby's mounting panic, a cornered rat getting increasingly desperate as every escape route slams shut.
Sun-Baked Noir and Femme Fatale
The film truly ignites with the arrival of Grace McKenna (Jennifer Lopez), the smoldering wife of the older, wealthy, and deeply unpleasant Jake McKenna (Nick Nolte, radiating barely contained brutality). Here, U Turn dives headfirst into classic noir tropes, baking them under the unforgiving Arizona sun. Lopez, on the cusp of superstardom after Selena earlier that year, embodies the femme fatale archetype – alluring, trapped, and possibly deadly. The chemistry between her and Penn is electric, a desperate dance of lust and suspicion. Is she a damsel in distress, or is she playing a far more dangerous game? Nolte, meanwhile, delivers a performance of raw, physical intimidation, his Jake McKenna a figure of wealth corrupted into monstrous possessiveness. Their twisted triangle forms the dark heart of the narrative, pulling Bobby deeper into a web of potential murder and betrayal.
Stone Unleashed
Make no mistake, this is Oliver Stone operating at peak intensity, arguably pushing the stylistic flourishes he explored in Natural Born Killers (1994) even further. Working from a script by John Ridley (based on his novel Stray Dogs), Stone employs a dizzying array of techniques: jarring jump cuts, shifts between colour and black-and-white, frantic handheld camerawork, and the use of different film stocks, including reversal film which gave those incredibly saturated, almost hallucinatory colours. Some found it exhilaratingly kinetic; others dismissed it as directorial excess, style overwhelming substance. Filming reportedly took place under punishing heat, adding an authentic layer of sweat and exhaustion to the performances, which Stone likely welcomed to amplify the on-screen tension. The legendary Ennio Morricone provides a score that perfectly complements the visuals – discordant, serpentine, and laced with a distinctly Southwestern dread. It doesn’t soothe; it unnerves, mirroring Bobby’s fraying mental state.
A Grimy VHS Treasure?
Watching U Turn back in the day on VHS felt... right. The inherent graininess of the tape format somehow enhanced the film's dusty, grimy aesthetic. It wasn't the slick, polished Hollywood thriller; it felt dirtier, more dangerous, like a forbidden object found on the bottom shelf of the rental store. I distinctly remember renting this, drawn by the cast and Stone's reputation, and being utterly wired by the end – exhausted, a little grimy myself, and unsure who, if anyone, to root for. Did that final, brutal twist genuinely shock you back then? It certainly felt earned within the film's relentlessly bleak worldview. The practical gore effects, while perhaps less shocking now, had a visceral impact that CG often lacks.
Overcooked or Underrated?
U Turn was met with a decidedly mixed reception upon release (landing around $6.6 million domestically against a $19 million budget, per Box Office Mojo figures) and remains one of Stone’s more divisive films. Is it a misunderstood neo-noir gem, crackling with manic energy and stellar performances? Or is it an exercise in directorial self-indulgence, a sweaty, unpleasant ride signifying nothing? The truth, as often is the case, likely lies somewhere in between. It's undeniably stylish, features a killer cast firing on all cylinders (especially Penn, Nolte, and Thornton), and captures a specific late-90s cynicism with ferocious energy. However, the relentless stylistic assault and bleakness can feel overwhelming, even nihilistic, leaving little room for emotional connection beyond immediate visceral reaction.
Rating: 7/10
This score reflects the film's undeniable power as a piece of hyper-stylized, atmospheric filmmaking, driven by strong performances and Stone's unique vision. It successfully creates a suffocating sense of dread and embodies the sweaty desperation of its neo-noir roots. However, it loses points for a style that occasionally borders on excessive, potentially alienating viewers, and a narrative that, while twisty, can feel secondary to the visual onslaught. It’s a potent, often uncomfortable watch that perfectly captures a certain kind of late-90s cinematic extremity.
U Turn remains a fascinating, flawed, and utterly ferocious entry in Oliver Stone’s filmography – a sun-scorched detour into hell that, once visited, is hard to forget. It’s a testament to a time when a major director could take big stylistic swings, even if it meant alienating half the audience. For fans of intense, visually arresting crime thrillers, it’s a trip worth taking, even if you might need a cold shower afterwards.