Lesley-Anne Down

Pierce Brosnan

Anna Maria Monticelli

Frances Bay

Jeannie Elias

Alan Autry

Adam Ant

Josie Cotton

Frank Doubleday

Héctor Mercado

Mary Woronov

Nina Foch

J. Jay Saunders

Read Morgan

Paul Anselmo

Josee Beaudrey

Dana Chelette

Freddie Duke

Michael Gregory

Junero Jennings

Anita Jesse

Athan Karras

Elizabeth Russell

Kario Salem

Gayle Vance

Helen Vick

John Vidor

Tim Wallace

John McTiernan

Michael John Bateman

Jerry Gershwin

Ted Nugent

Scott Hancock

Ray Peschke

Paul Staples

Mary McLaglen

Jan Evans

Rhaz Zeisler

Steven Ramsey

Dwight Campbell

Jerome Clark

Richard Arrington

James J. Gilson

Emile Razpopov

Matthew Iadarola

Debra Figuly

Carol Land

Elliott Kastner

Tom Schneider

Mimi Kolombatovic

Robert Fitzgerald

Johanna Ray

Scott W. Herbertson

Bron Roylance

Jeffrey Perkins

Sue Baden-Powell

Kiki Garwood

Kathy Ogilvie

Dessie Markovsky

Warren Lewis

Bill Conti

Bo Johnson

Stanley Mark

Marcia Hinds

George Pappas

Stephen Ramsey

Cassian Elwes

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

BJ Davis

Drama

Fantasy

Thriller

Nomads

Cinema 7

United States of America

**_John McTiernan’s avant-garde first film, a supernatural thriller with Pierce Brosnan_**

A globe-trotting French anthropologist & his wife (Brosnan and Anna Maria Monticelli) try to settle down in Los Angeles wherein he notices a gang of malevolent street punks (Adam Ant, Mary Woronov, Héctor Mercado, etc.) and, regrettably, draws their attention. Lesley-Anne Down plays the doctor who somehow shares his memories. 

Written & directed by McTiernan, “Nomads” (1986) is an innovative mystery/thriller with supernatural bits and a smidgen of horror. There are similarities to the soon-to-come “The Lost Boys” (1987), except that this isn’t about vampires and is less comic booky (although there are several characters who seem to wander off the set of “The Road Warrior”).

It’s adult-oriented and artistic in the manner of “The Mothman Prophecies” from fifteen years later, but is even less viewer friendly. Don’t expect formulaic convention. It respects the intelligence of the viewer to put the pieces together. Schwarzenegger said he was so impressed by it that he convinced the producers of “Predator” (1987) to hire McTiernan.   

A respectable friend of mine cites “Nomads” as one of his favorite movies and so I had high expectations the first time I viewed it and was disappointed despite its professionalism. Seeing it again, I paid closer attention and was able to figure things out. For instance, why does Pommier (Brosnan) do nonsensical things, like after he uses the crowbar on a thug? Who is the weird nun in the vacant building? Why does Dancing Mary (Woronov) turn back when the women are obviously cornered in the attic? Why does the motorcycle rider stop at the border?

Brosnan is at his best here, very masculine, while the stunning Lesley-Anne and the Anna Maria are easy on the eyes.

The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

GRADE: B/B-

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Official Trailer