Detour

Jackson Alder awakens to find he is buried alive inside his Jeep after a mudslide. He tests the window, but soil pours in quickly, forcing him to roll it up to keep the airspace from sealing him in. He immediately begins to assess his surroundings and consider a plan for survival.

The sunroof begins to cave in, and the pressure escalates, but he manages to stop it from collapsing by applying tape to seal the edge and wedging a steering wheel lock to hold the opening. This improvised fix buys him crucial time, even as the mud continues to press in around him. He steadies his breath and charts his next moves toward escape.

With the situation growing dire, he drinks his remaining water and immediately regrets it, realizing every drop may be vital later. He draws a cross on the back of a seat and prays for a miraculous rescue while the confined space narrows around him. The silence is punctuated only by the drip of water and his ragged breathing.

Water begins to drip through cracks in the sunroof, prompting him to improvise a funnel from a credit card and position a bottle to catch the precious liquid. He dismantles a camping chair and considers sliding the pole through a small sunroof hole, but the plan fails; instead he crumples newspaper to cover the leak. The improvisations illustrate his skill at turning whatever is at hand into a lifeline.

Rope twine is threaded through the pole with a bottle cap as a crude depth gauge, and he forces the pole downward into the mud to measure how far he is from the surface. The pole pushes through the mud and, after relentless effort, he finally senses the surface above. He calculates that he is about three meters from the surface, a stark realization of the distance he must overcome.

He tries to create smoke to signal rescuers by scrunching up paper and lighting it, but the blaze quickly spirals out of control after he drops it. He manages to extinguish the fire, but the attempt highlights both his ingenuity and the constant danger of flame in such cramped conditions. The signal remains a faint possibility as the mud continues to trap him.

The car shakes violently as the mud threatens to bury him further, and a sudden blow to the head leaves him reeling. He wakes with the Jeep partially covered in mud and a painful wound on his skull. He improvises a bandage from his shirt and tightens it with his belt to stem the bleeding.

Desperation grows as he prepares for a risky escape: he strips down to his underwear and rubs motor oil over his body to reduce friction against the mud. He straps the spare tire onto his body to create buoyancy and air as he fights his way toward the surface. The plan is dangerous, but every option seems necessary.

Mustered courage drives him to crawl through the sunroof and begin digging his way upward, dragging himself toward the opening that will lead to air. The mud clings to him as he pushes through, inching closer to freedom with each motion. Finally he breaks through the surface, leaving the vehicle and mud behind him.

The film ends with Jackson breaking into fresh air and seeing the city skyline in the distance, a stark contrast to the tomb he just escaped. The moment underscores the fragility of survival and the sheer will to persevere. The image of him rising into the light lingers as the credits cue.