Hit the Road

Play trailer

1:45

Hit the Road

2022

1h 33m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

99 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Panah Panahi, son and collaborator of embattled Iranian master Jafar Panahi, makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama. Hit the Road takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. It follows a family of four -- two middle-aged parents and their sons, one a taciturn adult, the other an ebullient six-year-old -- as they drive across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog. Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose for their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers an authentic, raw, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A beautifully acted drama with steadily cumulative force, Hit the Road uses one family's journey to make trenchant observations about society as a whole.

Read Critics Reviews

Leigh Singer

Sight & Sound

May 14

Panah Panahi’s debut feature is a stunningly assured road movie which balances emotional nuance with a bubbling undercurrent of political critique.

Go to Full Review

Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

09/18/2024

5/5

A tender portrait of family with a subtly political message.

Go to Full Review

Adam Nayman

Cinema Scope

02/16/2023

Hit the Road works in enough familiar ways that critics can safely place it within a certain tradition. But it’s also hopefully the start of something new.

Go to Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/18/2024

4/5

Hit the Road is a chaotic but tender snapshot of a family on a journey, shifting at ease between light-hearted humour and affecting drama.

Go to Full Review

Nuha Hassan

Film Cred

09/04/2023

The rawness and the expressions captured in Hit the Road make the journey even more special, and when the youngest family member sticks his head through the sunroof and blissfully yells the chorus of the song, everything comes together.

Go to Full Review

Kathy Fennessy

Video Librarian Magazine

06/07/2023

3.5/5

In best road movie fashion, Hit the Road also serves as a travelogue as the family passes pistachio-like hills, hot springs, and babbling brooks.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Claude T

05/16/2022

The movie gives you a look in the family dynamics of an Iranian family, but there are so many questions which are not answered that the viewer now wants to hit the road again to better understand. The youngest child is the star of the show!

See more

Roy J

05/10/2022

Some random scenes and dialogues that confused me, but overall great movie and glad to see Panahi following his father's footsteps and also keeping his legacy alive.

See more

Leon H

@RT13589101 2d

I can only give 3 stars as even though the performances are uniformly excellent, the dialogue feels real and the scenery looks striking, the film itself is slow to the point of distraction.

See more

T M

@RT55749265 Jul 27

A rather marvelously acted film, especially from the very cheeky-chappie six year old. Clever and funny in lots of ways. But you can tell it's a debut film. Very human.

See more

Esra Y

@RT95409318 Mar 16

Panahi's storytelling power comes from capturing panorama of Iran through most sincere, unassuming everyday moments.

See more

shahryar m

@shawnmanavi Jan 15

it had some very funny scenes and the child is very talented but the story didnt come well together. it felt like the movie didnt have a good conclusion. i wanted more from the film . too many loose ends

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Panah Panahi

Director

Hassan Madjooni

Dad

Pantea Panahiha

Mom

Rayan Sarlak

Little Brother

Amin Simiar

Big Brother

Panah Panahi

Screenwriter

Moving On

73%

70%

Moving On

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Moving On

Together Together

90%

77%

Together Together

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Together Together

Hudson

%

100%

Hudson

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hudson

Bergman Island

83%

53%

Bergman Island

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bergman Island

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Hit the Road: Trailer 1

1:45

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Panah Panahi, son and collaborator of embattled Iranian master Jafar Panahi, makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama. Hit the Road takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. It follows a family of four -- two middle-aged parents and their sons, one a taciturn adult, the other an ebullient six-year-old -- as they drive across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog. Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose for their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers an authentic, raw, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own.

Director: Panah Panahi
Producer: Mastaneh Mohajer, Jafar Panahi, Panah Panahi
Screenwriter: Panah Panahi
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 19, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $151.0K
Runtime: 1h 33m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings