Monte Hellman

American film director known for austere, existential Westerns and the cult road movie Two-Lane Blacktop.

Directed Two-Lane Blacktop (1971). Made two earlier metaphysical westerns with a young Jack Nicholson that were cult hits in France and were considered difficult to distribute in the USA. Two-Lane Blacktop stars James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, Laurie Bird and Warren Oates.

The available review praises Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop as a stark, existential road movie starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, Laurie Bird and Warren Oates. It highlights sparse dialogue, role-defined characters, and the film's visual austerity along Route 66. The review frames the film as a cult classic and 'pure' road movie with a famously distilled ending.

For:Fans of cult cinema, road movies, American independent film and classic 1960s-70s cinema