Simon Ward and Hayley Mills are both outstanding in this one. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while... I've seen this one years ago and forgotten about it and forgot what happens - I only remember seeing it once upon a time. I can say I am impressed and will want to watch this one again.An escapee has left the mental institution. Belle has just missed her train, wants to get back home and catches a ride with a crazy trucker but she manages to get away from him and is stranded on the road. Stephen had seen her earlier at the tavern where she left with the man, recognized her and gave her a lift. From that point on, we can see the strange behavior of Stephen. Even Belle had her strange ways that explained her stand-off behavior yet seemed to have an odd trust in Stephen. Belle seems to kinda like Stephen, she even helps him out a time or two. During flashbacks we can see Belle's past and Stephen's past... it helps to explain their behavior. They end up going more places together than where Belle wanted to go in the first place. At one point, Belle ends up with another strange man that picks her up after a mix-up with Stephen but Belle and Stephen end up back together. Belle and Stephen really seemed like a match made in Heaven until the very end.9.5/10

Being a big fan of road movies, this rarity instantly appealed to me. It's a British production, a thriller which has enough twists, turns, tricks and red herrings to rival any recent blockbuster. By keeping the plot simple (it's a bit like a low-key, subtle version of THE HITCHER), the director allows us to focus on the characters in the film and get to know them as events unfold through plenty of down-to-earth dialogue. It's a simple way of grabbing the audience's attention, but you'd be surprised how many films can't even grasp this simple concept.Every trick in the book is pulled out here to keep the pace flying along. There's plenty of action, car chases, some weird psychological flashbacks which only reveal their importance at the film's climax, drama, suspense, plus the expected violence and nudity required to make this a sleazy epic. And it's all British, too, which gives it a novelty value unlike any other film I've seen - as I've said before, a little bit of originality goes a long way.Another plus is the high standard of acting on display here from the two leads. Both Simon Ward and Hayley Mills utterly convince us that they are the characters that they play, each with distinctive personalities and their own ways of dealing with situations. Ward is thoroughly charismatic and appealingly innocent as the young man who may or may not be a killer, while Mills bypasses the "screaming girl" factor so apparent in many horror films to become a fully-fleshed, believable person who proves to be resourceful and independent time and time again. American legend Sterling Hayden also pops up for a cameo as a quirky old chap who thinks that his luck's in with Mills - it isn't.This is a film which had me gripped right until the very end. Only in the closing minutes is the killer's identity confirmed, so it has you guessing right up until then. All this and plenty of fun moments too, such as a pair of Hells Angels who get more than they bargained for when one of their bikes is run off the road and explodes! What makes this film work for me is that the film is firmly rooted in reality, making what happens all the more interesting and involving. All the characters come across as real, everyday folk and even the British weather is spot on. DEADLY STRANGERS is a good example of clever, intelligent film-making and of what can be achieved on a low budget. Outstanding.

A melodramatic and exciting thriller, boasting a dead man's chest full of red herrings plus an excellent British cast ( and Sterling Hayden), this tale of mayhem will likely keep you guessing to the very end as the plot twists and turns with the very lovely and talented Hayley Mills and "Young Winston" star Simon Ward at their best.There is a bonus, too. What Roy Boulting gave us a teeny peek of in "The Family Way" during Miss Mills' bath scene is revealed in it's divine perfection as British Film Industry veteran Sidney Hayers gives us a bathtub scene of his own. The movie belongs to Hayley anyway so that was a nice gift. WOW!

Good movie plots remain with me. This is a movie I'd seen as a child and am lucky to find it here. It's a plot I've never forgotten and has quite a twist at the end. The only actor I remembered was Simon Ward. The acting was fine and, like so many of the British movies I've seen, nothing is overdone. No unnecessary violence and things blowing up for the sake of a boom. They don't write enough movies like this one. Other moves like this one is Vanishing Act with Elliot Gould, Silent Partner with Elliot Gould, and Sudden Fury (a very little known Canadian movie which should not be confused with the idiotic action film of the same name).If you're the kind of movie fan who hates predictable movies then this movie is for you.