Out of Bounds (1986) User Reviews

No Country for Young Men

[Gregory_Anton · 5/10 · 27 February 2021]

This is a story of a good kid on the run from drug dealers and police. It has a great 80's feel in music and scenery, and makes Los Angeles look better than the real thing. What the story lacks compared with it's many cousins in this genre is character interactions between the three principals in the chase. Every time the kid wants to talk, somebody starts shooting. The believability of the story suffers and the characters aren't developed. At least the Richard Tuggle didn't go too over-the-top with the farm boy culture clash. The most prescient line of the movie is when Jenny Wright's character admits, "I'm not really an actress."

If you are looking for a good youth-on-the-run 80's scenery movie, head over to San Antonio and check out Cloak and Dagger (1984).

Possibly so bad it's good territory

[bgaiv · 5/10 · 15 September 2021]

It's pretty bad, that's for sure. At one point, the lead character runs from the cops, jumps on the back of a motorcycle and points a gun at the rider and tells him to get us out of here, and the guy instantly does, and helps him elude the cops. And then they bond!

This movie is practically a parody of 80s action movies, with Anthony Michael Hall's presence being the icing on the cake. However, Hall does do a fine job with the material he's given.

The movie tries to balance the main character's folksy farm upbringing charm with a zany LA revenge/caper plot and it doesn't work.

It doesn't look cheap at all, it looks like they dropped some bucks on this, with some complex stunts, lots of speaking roles, quite ample extras and a lavish appearance. But at the same time, it looks they trimmed this to bone in editing, probably thinking they had a turkey.

Crazy and unlikely as it may sound, there might be a more interesting cut that could have happened. It makes you wonder why they even bothered with the Iowa scenes, setting up Daryl's mother and father. Even Daryl's brother seems barely worth setting up, considering they talk briefly then he's dead.

It does have striking music I'd never heard before, particularly Cities in Dust. And they did succeed in the goal of showing LA in a different way than other films.

Basic Man-on-the-run Thriller

[boblipton · 5/10 · 27 February 2021]

Anthony Michael Hall leaves the farm to visit his brother in Los Angeles; his parents are going through a bust-up. When he gets off the plane, he picks up the wrong bag, one full of drugs. When he wakes in the morning, he finds his brother and sister-in-law dead and im on the run. His only help is Jenny Wright, a woman he met on the plane, and who came on to him.

There are some nice bits of writing here, simple solutions to obvious problems. Why doesn't he call his parents? Because his father is traveling and his mother is visiting in Kansas..... and he wrote down the wrong phone number! But while Hall, who was trying to break out his his 'nerdy teen' phase, is very good in the early scenes as an unsure farmboy, after one day in the city he moves through a punk club with an air of assurance. In addition, there's little to interrupt the increasing level of apprehension throughout. A few breaks, a la Hitchcock, would have been nice.

Miss Wright has a far more nuanced and interesting performance to give that would seem to foretell a longer career. Alas, a dozen years later, she made her last film. It's mildly surprising. She's what makes this movie watchable.

Unbelievably, Hilariously Awful, it's Out of Bounds of Good Taste

[MackMonMay87 · 3/10 · 22 August 2020]

Out of Bounds is a true time capsule of when it was made, featuring music, fashion, and architecture of the excessive 80s in full hairspray slick and neon glitz. It's filled with club scenes and music, with some recognizable tracks from The Smiths and Suzie and The Banshees.

The script to this is almost unbelievably stupid and bends the rules of plausibility more than most sci-fi movies do. Among the mountain of stupid character choices and lack of a coherent story, I think the most ridiculous aspect is that Jenny Wright's character is able to afford (an absurdly tackily decorated, hideous 80s monstrosity of) an apartment/house in West LA that appears to be 3-stories, all on a waitresses' salary. And a working, good condition classic convertible on top of that!! I know it was the 80s and wages and the economy was slightly better, but Frodo and his adventures in The Shire are more believable than this girl being able to make rent and car payments every month doing what she does.

The movie plays out as if a sheltered 16-year old boy from the suburbs wrote a crime drama. Anthony Michael Hall plays a young lad from Iowa who's just in the wrong place at the wrong time at LAX, with a switched bag story happening to him, putting him in the middle of a drug-ring looking for their product.

A beautiful girl who doesn't know him hits on him and kisses him on the cheek within 5 minutes of knowing him, he kills a man, holds up another on a motorbike, and breaks into a bus station, doing easily over 3,000 dollars worth of property damage, and kills another drug dealer, all without any real consequences by the end of the movie! And they call superhero movies fantasies? This is honestly an absurd wish-fulfillment flick that throws out any semblance of common sense in the first 5-minutes.

I find it interesting how much culture has changed when it comes to something like moviemaking, and in a relatively short amount of time. I'm sure audiences sympathized with (or were expected to) Hall's obnoxious character, but his character is an entitled brat that never really gets his much-deserved karma for making stupid choice after stupid choice. The writing truly fails to make him a sympathetic character that you root for, because his actions show that he doesn't really care about people. That's crucial in the kind of story where an everyman gets into a situation where they're way over their head, you have to have a sense of normalcy and sympathy from characters like this; they can't be a hard-as-steel type like James Bond. He never even shows that much remorse over his brother or his brother's wife getting murdered. That's part of why it plays out like a dream, or something that a spoiled teen would write.

He manages to convince Jenny Wright's character that he's not lying in one scene "because I'm telling the truth", and is painted as a sympathetic character when he literally reaches into his waistband to "give back" a gun in his belt when cops have their guns trained on him. Of course they're going to do that! You're reaching for a gun! From the cop's perspective, you're a kidnapping suspect with a firearm! Yet the movie paints him as put-upon, and we're expected to root for him. And that's just a taste of how stupid this movie is. By the end of the movie, he's caused countless amounts of property damage, murdered 2 people, taken the law into his own hands, trespassed, and more, and is let off by the police. Even if you were a victim in the sense you had the wrong bag, he still knowingly and willingly commits countless other crimes that even a teenager would know not to do, and that he doesn't get held accountable by going to jail for them, is absolutely ridiculous.

Of course Jenny Wright's character doesn't mind that she's lost her job and had her life threatened by this moron, either. 80's cinema strikes again! He gets rewarded with her seemingly unconditional affection no matter what, and hooks up with her in the end. Is it any wonder that if you're like me and were raised on movies, that you can have a tough time with dating in real life as a teen/young adult? Movies have depicted female affection as easy to come by and a reward for what amounts to stupidity for decades.

The dialogue is horrible and laughable, the characters and their actions make no sense, and there's nothing particularly interesting about how it was shot. No wonder I've never heard of this before. Watching this with your friends to laugh at it is highly recommended, especially if you're bored during lockdown, having watched all of your other quality films. The only redeeming aspect is that some of the supporting cast are good actors, the movie is a solid time capsule of 80s culture, and a few of the songs (which are used to greater affect in better movies), are solid hits from the decade also. Out of Bounds was made out of sense.

Long Lost 80's Classic

[JohnnyMarsan · 7/10 · 7 April 2014]

Daryl Cage (Anthony Michael Hall), is an Iowa farm boy who chooses to leave home and live in Los Angeles with his brother. At the airport in Los Angeles, Daryl's duffel bag is accidentally switched with one containing a drug dealer's heroin. Consequently, Daryl's brother and his girlfriend are murdered, but the police mistakenly suspect Daryl of the crime. He becomes the prime suspect of his brother's murder and must clear his own name. He reaches out to the only person he knows in L.A., Dizz (Jenny Wright), who he met earlier on the plane. With Dizz's help he must also rid himself of the heroin by tracking down the dealer and finding his brother's killer.

This movie is really hard to find. I don't think it was ever released on DVD. I recently caught it on the Sony Movie Channel and had to save it on my DVR. I hadn't seen it in so long and it really brought me back. There is some great scenery of 80's Los Angeles. This movie made me fall in love with Jenny Wright and Jeff Kober is a great villain as usual. Lookout for an appearances by Stiles from Teen Wolf and Siouxsie and the Banshees!!!

Out of Brains? Out of directing, out of everything!!

[buzznzipp1995 · 1/10 · 5 July 2006]

It's so screamingly bad, that it's fun to watch.

I.E.,in a chase scene when being pursued by the local police, he jumps onto a motorcycle in an alley occupied by a much larger man than he and says "Get the Hell outta here!" Now there's a detailed directive. In so little as not even questioning the authority of this 'beanpole' who popped onto the back of his bike, as to what's going on? He complies with the demand and takes off like a scalded monkey!

I'm just sad that other more worthy projects don't get made, don't get funded, due to the fact that the money is being spent on moronic-movies...like this little gem. The directing was so poor and facetious it's obvious that this was only made for a bunch of 'braces baring' teen and pre teen giggly girls and teen-Beat heart throb 'Hall'. This is his vehicle. This is not about being a truly well made story. When I looked up the director of this movie, a Mr. Tuggle, I was thankful that he has not been put to 'Work' on more films. He has only directed one other movie that I could find. That one actually worked out a little better, TIGHTROPE - Starring: Clint Eastwood. Since Eastwood always seems to bring back a great performance, between the two, 'Tightrope' is the only choice here there or well, anywhere.

Good, solid actioner. Well directed and entertaining... GREAT soundtrack! 😊

[lathe-of-heaven · 7/10 · 5 June 2022]

I'll make this short and sweet (well, at least short...)

Good, fun Crime/Thriller. Teen actor Anthony Michael Hall actually did a pretty good job in his role. Interesting casting since he just finished a couple of Classic John Hughes films ('BREAKFAST CLUB' & 'SIXTEEN CANDLES' to name 2) But, all 'n all I think he did a decent job. I personally thought that his performance was just a TAD underplayed; I think being an 'Iowa Farmboy' suddenly dropped in L. A. and found in the situation (and personal loss) that he did, I really think that he would have reacted with a tad more emotion than he did, but it worked okay. The lead girl was decent. But, it wasn't really the acting that stood out in this film. It really was more the story and the way the director kept the pace moving briskly.

Like I mentioned in my title, if you are so inclined, the soundtrack, done by the Police's Stewart Copeland, along with some great songs of the time I thought really added to the enjoyment and pacing of the story. It was cool to see ol' Siouxsie Sioux and her group, along with a lot of other great songs.

Just ONE thing, if I may... Not giving anything away, but the cop was a total, and I mean a TOTAL D*CK! Geez... Personally, I think that the story would have been much better served if that character had been played in a smoother, cooler, more appealing way, like many cops in these kinds of films. Somewhat understanding and sympathetic, but still having to do their 'Duty' But, THIS guy was just a complete D*CK! Period. Had a chip on his shoulder about 2 blocks long. Just plain stupid in my lowly and wretched opinion, and quite honestly detracted from what otherwise could have been a very appealing role. No... Just pure D*CK 😊 Sorry, this guy really annoyed me. Or, I guess I should say, that the way the director had him portray the character was really lame.

But, with that one minor proviso, I thought it was a fun, entertaining movie that kept the tension going really well and therefore held the audience's attention while providing an entertaining backdrop for the story in various cool locations and clubs. Not to mention, some nice car chases and shootouts. The bad guy was of course played to perfection as that actor usually does with these kinds of roles.

So, yeah, I would say if you enjoy a straight forward mid-level Crime/Thriller with a youthful vibe and soundtrack of the time, then you might find this movie entertaining...

Poor of ideas and presentation

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 4/10 · 12 February 2013]

Here's something almost enjoyable with many 1980's elements we all love to see on the screen but it just doesn't hold up all that well for too long, becoming very confusing and tiring to finally get to one conclusion: poor film.

With clichés being thrown at its audience in several directions, "Out of Bounds" is about a country boy (Anthony Michael Hall) who is sent to California to visit his older brother when a mix with the bags has him chased by the police and by dangerous drug dealers (parts of Jeff Kober and Raymond J. Barry) who are looking for the content in their bag (lots of drugs). His only help comes from a girl (Jenny Wright) he met on the plane and who'll try to find a way out of this situation.

The script isn't so terrible but it's deeply problematic. But everything's so unbelievable! All of sudden this well-mannered, almost shy kid with just a change of clothes can manage to be a hot shot who deals with the cool kids in town, or fire weapons at bad guys. There wasn't much time to dwell on his background but the very few given offers so little that you wonder where did he learn to survive in this concrete jungle armed to the teeth. It's a successful succession of blunders one after another in this story (the worse being when the drug dealer notices that the bags were changed. He's hold on a line, looks to someone carrying a similar bag and goes chasing the guy (which is the hero). Ridiculous moment. It entertains a little, offers some fine action sequences and invests a little in dramatic efforts.

The few merits of this goes to Anthony Michael Hall making a good pair with Jenny Wright, they were a good team escaping from the excesses common to flicks like this with those love/hate relationships, it's nothing like that in here. Best in the show was the detective played by Glynn Turman, very good acting. The guys playing the villains are trapped in the common place category: do the bad guy face, kill some people and that's it. Meat Loaf was reduced to two scenes and I couldn't understand why he was there anyway. Stewart Copeland found some good themes for the movie's score; there's a good-looking use of The Smiths in one funny scene after Hall's transformation of character; and there's a fun cameo from Siouxsie and the Banshees.

And an award should be given to the sound mixers and editors from this piece. The sound sucked terribly, worst sound mixing ever! The soundtrack and some of the dialogs are too in the foreground, highlighted but all the rest goes unheard, you can't hear the footsteps when the characters are running or walking. Lame.

It goes so fast at parts, so messy that the most awaited moment is for its ending to come because by that time it already became something you don't follow anymore. If nostalgia hits you well, go pick another movie from that glorious decade. This doesn't worth much of a curiosity really. 4/10

Fresh Off The Farm

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 6 February 2007]

Anthony Michael Hall is way Out of Bounds on a trip to Los Angeles. Fresh off the farm from Iowa, he picks up Jeff Kober's travel bag by mistake. Kober gets Hall's change of wardrobe and Hall gets over a million dollars in heroin.

I don't think Jeff Kober has ever played a good guy in any of the films or television shows I've ever seen him in. He's succeeded Lyle Bettger in playing a lovely variety psychotics and in this case he's one psychotic drug dealer looking for his stash.

Kober murders Hall's brother and his wife who Hall was staying with when he learns where he's staying and to top it all off, LAPD detective Glynn Turman is thinking Hall did the deed. Some trigger happy cops nearly kill Hall and he's off and running looking for the only other person he knows in Los Angeles, a waitress played by Jenny Wright who he met on the plane out from Iowa.

Farm boy Hall is in one hostile environment as he tries desperately to survive and clear himself.

Anthony Michael Hall was still in his brat pack period when he did Out of Bounds. He portrays the resourceful, but vulnerable Iowa kid very well.

But the acting honors of this film go to Jeff Kober. A really unsung and underrated performer, Kober always delivers the goods when he's a bad guy. In fact one day I'd like to see try doing comedy for a change.

Till then Kober will keep you on the edge of your seat when you watch him in Out of Bounds.

Out of bounds, out of mind

[coverme6 · 17 June 2000]

A pretty silly film, "Out of Bounds" begins as a teeny-bopper

style of movie that would suit John Hughes' tastes, and ends

like how a Charles Bronson vigilante film would be. Anthony

Michael Hall plays Darryl Cage, an Iowa teen who travels to L.A.

to visit his brother, only to have his duffel bag accidentally

switched with a bag belonging to a dope runner. What follows is

a frantic yet unbelievable streets of the city of angels. Hall

is a likeable actor (in my book, he's a lot cooler than Leo

DiCaprio!), but I wasn't used to seeing him in a gritty action

film like this. He's too much of a pretty boy to look ind

Dreadful film!

[hemisphere65-1 · 2/10 · 12 April 2021]

Acting, writing, directing, sound editing, et al.

Everything about this movie is awful!

Anthony Michael Hall attempting to be a tough guy is fun to watch, but not because it's convincing.

I gave the second star for Siouxsie and the Banshees appearance!

A slice of L.A.s underworld, action '86 style

[PeterMitchell-506-564364 · 8/10 · 27 March 2013]

I admit, there are parts of this movie which are incredibly dumb. A lot of it owes, the incredibly poor script. But I really liked the fast paced flow of the movie. And we have a new action hero, Anthony Michael Hall. Yeah, right? Yeah too f..in' right. He rocks in the movie, that's a perfect vehicle for him, after the string of John Hughes films prior. He plays a farm boy, Daryl, in Iowa, and we see his miserable self, out there on the tractor working the farm. Some youngies speeding along in a red convertible, yell something to him, from a far, though I couldn't make out what it was, but I'm pretty sure they were dissing him. His parents have been arguing over Daryl's future, and we get a taste of their fracas's. At the advice of his Mother, he's sent out to L.A. to live with his brother. After having some wet dreams on the plane, he meets a would be actress, Dizz, sitting next to him. He makes one fatal mistake that costs him his older brother and fiancée's life, only the start of a bigger body count in the film, though we can't forget the poor sod at the start, who also made the fatal mistake of being a savior to the wrong guy, a drug trafficker, and psychopathic Kober, a great character actor of evil. Daryl had picked up the wrong duffel bag, an identical one to his-what are the chances? This bag worth killing for, contains H. Now, you're asking yourself, how did Kober not find Daryl at his brothers. He was in a segregated outhouse concealed coolly by a hedge. Now Daryl's on the run, with the H, and it isn't long before he's up to his neck in trouble. But this is the thrill ride, Hall, hijacking a bikie was great stuff, while nearly being blown away by a cop, while making a righteous phone call. He's soon reunited with Dizz, his only chance, of clearing himself, and taking pr..k Kober down. We really get to see a bit of L.A's underworld, Dizz and Daryl, putting it out there, he has what Kober's after, and soon enough they're being pursued by this psycho, where in the mean time, more bodies show up + a dead mouse, crushed by Kober's merciless hand. I though the way Kober died was stupid though, with Daryl, just happening to be a champion knife thrower. OOB has some pumping rock scores too, but I liked the energy of the film, regardless of the stupidity or realism, but the latter is not really why we go to the movies, now is it.

More Action than thoughtful

[mymerlin777 · 7/10 · 8 September 2007]

I always liked this film because it showed that Hall was not just some goofy nerd all the time. In this film he is faced by drug dealers and murderers and more real to life situations than that of other movies, such as the "Pretty in Pink" genre 80's movie. I don't see that it ever got released on DVD like some others from that time, why is that? Hall proves himself in a dramatic, thoughtful role as a simple teen who is able to develop survivor instincts under pressure. I have seen it many times and like it much more than the "Breakfast Club" or even "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where the comedy pales after a few times of watching. I do not think it got the press it deserved. Many of my friends have never seen it. The film barely gets a mention anywhere, I think because it is not a comedy and is R-Rated for showing violence. I think people needed to see Hall do more dramatic acting than just stuck doing continual comedic roles. I think this movie shows part of the man who became one to play in the "Dead Zone."

A tall order of average. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 5/10 · 14 April 2004]

Out of Bounds might have the potential for a mild, but good 80s teen thriller. Unfortunately, the predictable story and the cast screwed the chances for that.

If you have seen the 1991 Patrick Dempsey movie, Run, then you already have some idea of the plot behind Out of Bounds. Both are quite similar as those run for your life type movies, but Run is a much better choice if this be what suits your mood.

Anthony Michael Hall is Daryl Cage, a quiet kid from farm country, Iowa, who goes to stay with his older brother in Los Angeles. It all begins with identical bags at an airport luggage pickup where Daryl picks up a bag that (oh my god) looks just like his, only it contains a large supply of drugs. But the rightful owners mistakenly suspect Daryl for someone who is unexpectedly meddling in their business, so they to eliminate him. Long story short, as this mistake sadly leads to the death of his brother, Daryl is on the run not only from gangsters, but also from cops who think he's the murderer. Daryl befriends a witty, stylish young woman (Jenny Wright) who is his only chance at saving himself because obviously, he proves too stupid to help himself.

This could've been a decent movie, but right from the beginning, the movie is just far too predictable for any of the sudden suspense moments to work on the audience. And second, Anthony Michael Hall either behaves like he was too good to be in this movie, or his character Daryl is supposed to be so apathetic, that it's hard to believe someone would react this way given the situation he's in. The only good thing about this movie is the likable Jenny Wright who reminded me of Emily Lloyd's performance in Cookie. And the music is alright too, as Stuart Copeland's 80s compositions typically were.

But, I found that the bad qualities (the story and the leading man) seemed to outweigh even that. Therefore, I recommend watching 'Run' instead. The story is kind of similar--a young student (Patrick Dempsey) who was at the wrong place at the wrong time suddenly becomes the target of both the mafia and their team of corrupt cops thanks to one very big misunderstanding. Likewise, a young woman (Kelly Preston) is their at his aid. Run has better action, a better story, and hell if it's 80s teen stars you're looking for, why not settle for Dempsey?

action packed film with 80's youngest stars

[hectorpeach · 21 June 2001]

"Out Of Bounds" is an action packed thriller with teenage actors such as Anthony Michael Hall (Breakfast Club) , and Jenny Wright (Young Guns 2). With Jeff Kober as the main villain named Roy Gaddis who is the sadistic and crazy drug dealer , and Raymond J. Barry as a crooked drug enforcement agent.

The film is about a farmboy Daryl Cage (Michael Hall) who is encouraged to leave his parents farm and move to Los Angeles with his brother. But something does go wrong , very wrong , when his brother mistakenly mixes up Daryls luggage and picks up a bag of drugs. Just hours after he arrives at his brothers place , his brother (played by the unknown Kevin McCorkle) is brutally slaughtered by the owner of the drugs. Of course the cops cannot find any fingerprints in the house except for daryl's, so he is blamed for the murder. So with the cops and a pyschotic drug dealer on his tail , Daryl and his friend Dizz must seek safety , seek revenge for his brother , and prove that Daryl is innocent.

good plot , great filming , and your average budget is backed up by the supporting cast including Ji Tu Cumbuka as the dealers partner , and Meat Loaf who appears as a friend of the dealer and the pilot , Gil. All of these things add up to a minor success at the box office , and a good style of 80's teenage star films , and being shown on television quite a bit.

stuck in B

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 27 February 2021]

Iowan teen Daryl Cage (Anthony Michael Hall) gets sent away from the failing family farm to live with his older brother in Los Angeles. B-movie actress Dizz (Jenny Wright) flirts with him on the plane. His brother grabs the wrong bag which turns out to be full of drugs. Drug dealer Roy Gaddis (Jeff Kober) wants it back.

Anthony Michael Hall's acting is a little inferior at first. There are situations that go too far and not far enough. One expects Roy to have ripped that house apart looking for his drugs. There is no point in staging a murder suicide. He wants the drugs. The motorcycle guy is strangely skilled and helpful despite Daryl shoving a gun in his side. The way that the movie is talking about the street is kind of funny. It's a whole network, you know. The street scenes are some of the better ones in the sense that it's a cinematic representation of a time and place. I actually like the AMH makeover which makes sense but they hit you over the head with the nosy cop. There are just a lot of little things which strike me as silly like the tape outlines which has even the fingers for the hands. How about the fish hook ear ring? That can't be a real thing. The plot is like Frantic. The style is like Something Wild but in the end, it's inferior and stuck in the B-movie territories.

It's a watchable, zany film.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 22 April 2023]

Farm boy Daryl Cafe leaves behind a life on the farm with his feuding parents, for one in The Big City with his brother, expecting a better life, things instantly go wrong when he picks up the wrong bag at the airport.

First off, credit to the film's pacing, it doesn't give you a slow, tedious buildup, it's essentially straight into the action, it's a fast paced, man on the run, in strange surroundings film.

The script isn't great, some of the dialogue is flat, some of the situations are absolutely crazy, you'll be scratching your head wondering if it's reality or not, if you're aware that you're watching a crazy thriller, you may just get some enjoyment from it.

The acting is actually really good, Anthony Michael Hall is great as Daryl, one thing he will do, is put you on edge, I think you get a sense of the character's stress levels. I adored Jenny Wright, she was a bundle of fun.

7/10.

Out Of Steam

[statuskuo · 5/10 · 4 October 2021]

I saw this film decades ago when it first came out and was baffled by how...mundane it was. It seemed to have wanted to balance the transition of star Anthony Michael Hall from geek to tough guy. For us who know him as "Farmer Ted" it was a hard pill to swallow.

And the filmmakers here knew that. He is a naive kid from Iowa who leaves for the big city. Which allowed Hall to maintain his innocence while playing darker characters.

Still, it seemed like a struggle to get him past the wholesome quality. Even when saddled with broken flower Dizz (Jenny Wright).

In small doses, Hall does a solid job in the lines he's offered. To be frank, out of all the brat pack, he is simply the best actor. Molly Ringwald is horrific, Judd Nelson was type-casted, Andrew McCarthy is awful and Ally Sheedy MAY have befell the same thing Hall does. Which is his looks don't match his acting talent. If you watch closely, Hall is actually AHEAD of his time with his performance in this movie. This is the template of which most police procedurals become for over a decade. In that sense, he is before his time.

The villain is Jeff Kober. A gaunt lizard like baddie who seems to have stolen your bike as a kid. He is that equal parts shady and sleezy. He fits this role in perfect fashion. He seems to have relished this role the same way Billy Drago does in "The Untouchables" They're just weasly tropes of 80's bad guys. In this case, Kober's commitment to awful behavior is one beyond today's bad guys. He's really slimy. And you can see the difference between his version of L. A. street trash and, say...someone like Jerry Levine's version in this movie, who doesn't have the same chops.

Jenny Wright...maybe this was a paycheck movie. But boy, does she phone it in. Part Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, she tries hard to be the bohemian girl you saw a lot of in the 80's. Instead, it comes off as cos-play of those character. In regards of her roles in "Near Dark" I would say, the less she says the better. I wondered if this role wasn't to be be darker. She seemed much more fed up with Los Angeles and their phoniness. And didn't seem afraid to express it. I understand these words, as I am in Los Angeles (which was great to see the city in the 80's). She is awful in this movie. And very uneven. Most of her lines are typical exposition to get the "hero' from one bad scenario to the next. It's disjointed. In fact, there are many moments where you can tell where they either cut the script or decided not to shoot certain segments of the movie.

I feel this is the effect of hired helmer Richard Tuggle. A somewhat bland director to begin with. He is the J. Lee Thompson without the pedigree to do mediocre cinema like this.

Anyway, this film is unfortunately dated in the world of ultra-realistic drama. It starts off really strong and downshifts into preposterous scenarios where simple common sense could have/should have solved his problems immediately.

I think this stalled plans for Anthony Michael Hall's adult roles. But his resurgence in 2020's is a testament to the training ground he had in flicks like this.

Yeah, it's a bland time waster. And if you have a hankering for 80's Los Angeles, it's a pretty good one to watch.

Jeff Kober's the best thing in it

[AlabamaWorley1971 · 6/10 · 24 January 2000]

Predictable '80s actioner. Everything is set up as if it's underlined. We see Anthony Michael Hall practicing with his knife, so we know it'll come into play. Jeff Kober is good as the guy pursuing Hall. HIS motivations and actions are the only ones that make any sense, and he's the bad guy! Somebody gave me the video as a birthday present because I'm a huge Kober fan. If you are too, go watch AUTOMATIC (1994) or your box set of KINDRED instead.

Surprisingly Good

[hera_ari · 7/10 · 17 June 2012]

I didn't think I would like this movie and I actually only watched it because I am a huge Anthony Michael Hall fan but it did end up surprising me with how into it I became.

The plot line is very generic.. or would be since a lot more movies have been made like it since then but the acting and directing of the movie is very good and still pulls you into it.

Anthony Michael Halls acting is once again flawless and natural, it just shows how great his range of abilities is as an actor.

The female lead annoyed me a bit but that's just my opinion.. i found her voice annoying.

Overall a great movie with great acting. 7/10 just because I didn't like the gore in it, it's very minimum but if your queasy be guarded.

Marvelously awesome thriller with great style!!!

[Lonesomewolf · 10/10 · 25 August 2005]

This movie has been a favorite of mine ever since I first saw it when I was seven years old. It was released in the summer of 1986 and I still remember being at a local video store with one of my brothers and noticing a movie poster for it displayed in one of the windows. When I realized that Anthony Michael Hall was the star of the show, I was astounded because everything else I had seen him in before Out Of Bounds was a comedy. Even though I was not permitted to watch anything R rated as far as my folks were concerned, my brother agreed to rent the movie for me so that we could watch it together while our parents weren't home. I watched it with him and loved every minute of it. Anthony Michael Hall's name in the movie was Daryl Cage and he was the heroic main character. The whole time I was hoping that he was going to conquer the bad guy as my pulse was pounding during the thrillingly intense scenes and I was relieved and happy when he did in the end. I must admit however, Anthony Michael Hall didn't do a very good job of acting in some parts of this movie but he was enjoyable to watch. Jenny Wright who played the part of Dizz was beautiful with her punk rocker hair style and sexy natural curves. Jeff Kober played Roy Gaddis who of course was the bad guy that killed Daryl's brother and sister in law. Jeff sure is a handsome guy and he did a fantastic job portraying the role of the scuzzy psychotic drug dealer. Another thing I love about the movie is the brief appearance by Siouxsie And The Banshees performing "Cities In Dust" in the Dirtbox Bar. All together this movie is exhilaratingly entertaining and one of the best ones I've ever seen. Out Of Bounds rocks!!!

80s Fun/Farm Boy On The Run

[dansview · 6/10 · 22 June 2012]

I don't know if Anthony Michael Hall was trying to be a minimalist in this one, given the character's farm background, or if he just acted poorly. He mumbles and never changes his facial expression.

Also, he never breaks down and faces the intense reality of what happened to his brother. But perhaps adrenalin kicks in when you're on the run, and there's no time to sit and contemplate.

*The huge plot hole is the fact that he struggles with a repair man right after discovering his brother's dead body, and he accidentally shoots the repair guy. You never hear a word about that again. No guilt, no mention from the cops, no nothing.

Having said all this, I loved the movie. It shows you how your life can change dramatically overnight. The scenes of 80s synth bands in Hollywood nightclubs are priceless, and Jenny Wright was like a non-singing Cyndi Lauper, who was a famous singer at the same time. Wright was natural and considerably entertaining.

Also, the bad guy was chilling and believable. Jeff Kober portrayed a sadist and sociopath. There ARE such characters. He looks like a big dude in this, but in reality, he's average size, according to his bio.

If you like 80s pop culture and crime/action pictures set in the streets of L.A., you should enjoy this one. Don't forget to check out No Man's Land too. It's better and stars Charlie Sheen.

An Iowa farm boy travels to L.A. to live with his brother, but a mix up at the airport leaves him holding a bag of heroin. Now he is being hunted by the drug smuggler, the police, and the feds.

[songbird-7 · 7/10 · 6 May 1999]

I've read three reviews of this movie: two knock the plot, and one knocks the acting. Why? I've seen worse movies (with bigger budgets) that the critics loved. At least the "kid" isn't depicted as being more brilliant than the cops or drug dealer. Yeah, there are some plot gaffes ... like, all the kid has to do is show that his bag check ticket doesn't match the one on the bag to prove it isn't his. But, hey! This is all make believe, anyway. So why not believe this kid is so scared he doesn't know what to do? It really is an okay movie. Fine for an afternoon diversion. If you like this genre, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

80's LA drug turf thriller

[wrxsti54 · 6/10 · 5 June 2022]

Out of Bounds centers on 18 year old Iowa farm boy Daryl Cage (Anthony Michael Hall) who is sent to LA to live with his older brother as his parents' farm is struggling. At the airport he grabs the wrong bag from the carousel and this one has several kilos of pure heroin. They are followed and whilst out, Daryl returns to find his brother and sister in law shot and he shoots a drug dealer disguised as a repair man. Giving himself up to the police becomes impossible as those in on the drug deal are corrupt cops and DEA officers. He looks up a cute blond New Wave girl Dizz (Jenny Wright) that he met on the plane who lives in a funky apartment near Venice Beach. The movie is about how a farm kid barely shaving adapts to the hostile adult world of the LA underground and finds a way to get out from under the huge threats he faces.

This movie is a mixed bag. By now 17, this is Hall's first solo lead role and the first serious more adult/macho like drama role versus the string of mid teen geek/nerd comedy roles that made him famous (16 Candles, Breakfast Club and Weird Science). He does a decent job as a wannabe roguish character. Jeff Kober as the corrupt DEA agent is a real standout and Wright as Daryl's new friend and protector is awesome. The movie is shot in the sketchy parts of West Hollywood with various scenes shot in legitimate actual popular New Wave nightclubs with cameos from then cutting edge bands/singers like Souxie and the Banshees and Tommy Keene!

Whilst the plot is intense and action filled, the script has a number of holes and credibility issues like: how an 18 year old naive farm boy is suddenly so expert with a handgun, why he didn't just go back home to Iowa and how he's able to successfully outsmart and dodge experienced and violent bent cops. That said, it was a fun movie to watch if only to see Hall break free from his teen geek stereotype.

Out of Bounds

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 2 April 2023]

After his parents relationship has soured. Daryl Cage (Anthony Michael Hall) an Iowa farm boy goes to Los Angeles to stay with his older brother and his wife.

At the airport Daryl grabs the wrong duffel bag. The next day he finds his brother and his wife murdered. The police think he killed them. Daryl discovers that the duffel bag contains drugs.

Roy Gaddis (Jeff Kober) is the careless drug dealer who transported the heroin as checked luggage on a plane. Then making sure he was not the first one on the conveyor belt to pick up the drugs.

Alone in an unknown city. Daryl seeks out Dizz (Jenny Wright) a waitress he befriended on the plane. She reluctantly helps him out as both Gaddis and the cops pursue him.

Hall who at the time was better known for playing nerdy types in John Hughes movies, does well as the innocent in the big city. Wright is suitable eye candy as the trusting Dizz who quits her job to help a stranger wanted for murder.

Director Richard Tuggle aimed the movie at the 80s youth market. It is full of punks and alternative English music ranging from The Smiths to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

He tries to add a bit of depth to the plot. There seems to be another set of bad guys that are after the drugs. The plot is hokum though but it is enjoyable enough despite the plot holes.