Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation

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Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation

Aug 2025

1h 29m

Documentary

Biography

History

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70%

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10 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

KEROUAC'S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION explores Jack Kerouac's legacy through stories of modern "on-the-roaders" and those who knew or were inspired by him. Featuring Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Matt Dillon and more, it reveals a rarely seen side of Kerouac and offers a fresh take on On the Road and its lasting impact on America.

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Alissa Wilkinson

New York Times

Aug 1

For superfans, Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation will play like a party, and probably drive the repeat reader right back to the book.

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Andrew Osborne

culturevulture.net

Aug 21

One of the strengths of this offbeat layer cake of a documentary is its acknowledgement of its subject as a flawed man mired in his time who nevertheless tapped into a shared national yearning for rebellion that feels both timely and timeless.

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Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

Aug 14

Director Ebs Burnough and writer Eliza Hindmarch take a different tack from most of the numerous treatments of the late author’s story. After a dazzling opening credits montage, the talking heads make their cases with appropriately surprising candor.

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Jaylan Salah

InSession Film

Aug 8

B+

It tackles the American dream through the perspective of an immigrant who, in his attempt to understand a country that once felt foreign to him, has etched his name forever into its mythos.

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Anne Brodie

What She Said

Aug 8

4/4

Kerouac’s legacy roars back to life in this well-made collage of reminiscences as to how his road novel changed the US. The opposite of the way things are now as Americans chase careers, jobs, wealth, status

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Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Aug 3

3/5

Often fascinating, thanks to the first-person recollections of Kerouac’s friends and sense of humour of his biographers, while the modern-day stories add an emotional vibrancy – but ... attempts at broad inquiry, means this is sprawling and diffuse.

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David

Aug 3

From the starting point 70 years on from Kerouacs On the Road, the set of modern stories beautifully unfolds as we continue to recon with what it can and does mean to be an American.

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Wade B

Oct 19

If you’re a fan of Kerouac don’t bother with this doc. I found it quite off putting. A lot of the story lines of people in the film had very little to do with being on the road at all. Definitely nothing to do with Kerouac. It’s almost like the filmmaker just interviewed people he knew in his personal life, and made extremely far reaching juxtapositions to fill the space and create a narrative. Confused why some of the people were invited to speak in the doc at all to be honest. This doc just seems to be cashing in on the fame of Jack, while at the same time bashing aspects of his writing and life.

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William F

Oct 15

Excellent film that captures the essence of Kerouac through a modern lens. Loved the film’s pacing and editing. Nevr a dull moment. A must watch.

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Cody B

Aug 16

I grew weary of the 3 stories of people who had nothing to do with Kerouac. I wanted to see a movie about Kerouac not all these modern people. Even following the Rainbow gathering people would have made more sense to me. Disappointing.

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Micala Y

Aug 14

Jack Kerouac: Beat of a Nation shines when it focuses on Kerouac himself, with rich archival footage and personal stories that bring the Beat legend to life. But the film's detours into three unrelated modern journeys — though moving — feel disconnected from On the Road, tied only by loose themes of freedom and struggle. The political undertones may engage some viewers but distract others from its strongest material: Kerouac's own story.

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Darren B.

@moviefan66 Aug 12

I wanted to like this. The Kerouac footage is excellent. Ann Charters’ and Joyce Johnson’s interviews complement the documentary. I just couldn’t find much personal connection to the three everyday people’s stories which dominate the narrative. The kid from Philly had hardly begun his life’s journey.

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Ebs Burnough

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W. Kamau Bell

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Josh Brolin

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Matt Dillon

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Synopsis

KEROUAC'S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION explores Jack Kerouac's legacy through stories of modern "on-the-roaders" and those who knew or were inspired by him. Featuring Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Matt Dillon and more, it reveals a rarely seen side of Kerouac and offers a fresh take on On the Road and its lasting impact on America.

Director: Ebs Burnough
Producer: Eliza Hindmarch, John Battsek, Ebs Burnough
Screenwriter: Eliza Hindmarch, Eliza Hindmarch
Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
Production Co: Universal Documentaries
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2025
Runtime: 1h 29m

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