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Road House

Play trailer Poster for Road House R Released May 19, 1989 1h 52m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
44% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Dalton (Patrick Swayze) has been hired to clean it up. He might not look like much, but the Ph.D.-educated bouncer proves he's more than capable -- busting the heads of troublemakers and turning the roadhouse into a jumping hot-spot. But Dalton's romance with the gorgeous Dr. Clay (Kelly Lynch) puts him on the bad side of cutthroat local big shot Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara).
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Road House

Road House

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Critics Consensus

Whether Road House is simply bad or so bad it's good depends largely on the audience's fondness for Swayze -- and tolerance for violently cheesy action.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting Silly, yet plays it straight, and everyone involved knows exactly the type of genre-pleaser they’re making... aspires to be nothing more and nothing less than a goofy experiment in translating the arc of the Western lone gunman to being a bouncer. Rated: 4/5 Mar 29, 2024 Full Review Sean T. Collins Decider ...it isn't just so bad it's good. In its own bad way, it really is good! Jul 12, 2019 Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times But in deep "Road House" country... and the undefined made crassly visible, there isn't a whiff of romance anywhere, any more than there's a single jot of common sense. Mar 27, 2019 Full Review Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope While the basic story is predictable, the acting is solid and the music is great. This movie has a lot going for it. The Jeff Healey Band provides much of the movie's soundtrack, playing all through it. This band is really impressive. Rated: C+ Apr 13, 2024 Full Review Don Shanahan Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast A sweaty and brawny classic of excess and coolness. Mar 31, 2024 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Not controlled or competent enough to work as a spoof, a serious action flick, or anything in between. Rated: 1.5/4 Mar 29, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ben D How your “Average Joe” knows James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) all over the country is beside the point. Dalton was hired to do one thing, and that’s kick ass. Actually, he is hired, time and again it seems, to clean up seedy bars to attract a more docile and higher-paying clientele. Like any great craftsman, Dalton has a system for handling ne’er-do-wells, which only leads to ass-kicking as a last resort. The “Road House” bar on the outskirts of Kansas City is full of last resorts. It’s 1989, so we need an evil millionaire (Ben Gazzarra), extortion, explosions, blonde knockouts (Julie Michaels, Kelly Lynch), and lots of shirtless Swayze. Dalton lives in an incredible loft apartment in a barn (how he’d deal with the Western Missouri winter is beyond me) and drives beat-up muscle cars. Although this is a movie that knows exactly what it is — and is better for it — the villain’s antics become more absurd and lose me with the “monster truck” incident in broad daylight. The bar itself is an incredible dive — with the wire net protecting the band from airborne beer bottles as a perfect touch — and Herrington’s camerawork provides makes you feel like you’re watching the action from a torn barstool. The plot also has one of the best “Chekov’s Gun” inclusions ever put on-screen, culminating in a much-anticipated Mortal Kombat-like fatality. Road House is pure 1980s ridiculousness and fun. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/18/24 Full Review Kevin B Absolutely fantastic! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/17/24 Full Review Sams K For me this is a cult movie! Iconic! Patrick 4 ever. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Has pleasant vibe and the music is so good. Like the wholesome musics. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review Geke g Amazing recommended. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review Bahad j There is one thing about this movie that cannot be missed. I can see that it worked really well on the small details. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

Road House

Road House: Official Clip - Find That Prick! Road House: Official Clip - Find That Prick! 1:29 Road House: Official Clip - Monster Truck Road House: Official Clip - Monster Truck 2:01 Road House: Official Clip - I Love You, Mijo Road House: Official Clip - I Love You, Mijo 2:13 Road House: Official Clip - The Old-Fashioned Way Road House: Official Clip - The Old-Fashioned Way 2:10 Road House: Official Clip - Prepare to Die! Road House: Official Clip - Prepare to Die! 2:01 Road House: Official Clip - The Double Deuce Road House: Official Clip - The Double Deuce 2:11 Road House: Official Clip - You're Too Stupid to Have a Good Time Road House: Official Clip - You're Too Stupid to Have a Good Time 1:43 Road House: Official Clip - Three Simple Rules Road House: Official Clip - Three Simple Rules 2:07 Road House: Official Clip - Pain Don't Hurt Road House: Official Clip - Pain Don't Hurt 2:07 Road House: Official Clip - The Polar Bear Road House: Official Clip - The Polar Bear 1:27 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Dalton (Patrick Swayze) has been hired to clean it up. He might not look like much, but the Ph.D.-educated bouncer proves he's more than capable -- busting the heads of troublemakers and turning the roadhouse into a jumping hot-spot. But Dalton's romance with the gorgeous Dr. Clay (Kelly Lynch) puts him on the bad side of cutthroat local big shot Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara).
Director
Rowdy Herrington
Producer
Joel Silver
Screenwriter
R. Lance Hill, R. Lance Hill, Hilary Henkin
Distributor
United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Silver Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 19, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$27.4M
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Surround
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