Off the Rails

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Off the Rails

2016

1h 26m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

100%

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24 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The life of Darius McCollum, a man whose obsession with mass transit has landed him in jail 32 times for impersonating drivers, conductors, token booth clerks, and track repairmen.

Critics Consensus

Off the Rails sparks interest with its bizarre story, but its impact lingers thanks to its empathetic treatment of its subject -- and clear advocacy for a marginalized sector of society.

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Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

If nothing else, Off the Rails, which includes a few too many reenactments for my taste, does what many good documentaries do. It provides us with a window into the psyche of a person worth caring about.

Rated: A-

Nov 18, 2016

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Neil Genzlinger

New York Times

An assured and thoughtful debut.

Nov 17, 2016

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

Though the film eventually grows as repetitious as its subject's habit, this odd tale has an undeniable bizarro human-interest fascination.

Nov 11, 2016

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

A fascinating documentary, thanks to McCollum's personality and presence, but the strength of the doc is how it exposes the flaws in the system.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 16, 2021

Full Review

Steve Erickson

Gay City News

There's triumph amidst the pathos here, and it's frustrating to try and figure out how Darius' life could have been filled with more of those victories.

Aug 28, 2018

Full Review

Andrew Parker

The Gate

Irving tackles the difficult subjects of mental illness, criminal behaviour, trauma, and a revolving door justice system with strength and dexterity.

Rated: 4.7/5

Aug 28, 2018

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Tam R

Interesting and engaging.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

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Audience Member

Very interesting documentary about a unique and (to me at least) unknown subject - perfect film for when you're in the mood for getting sucked in to something real, quirky, homespun, and deftly complex. Incredibly well made film that moves well, takes you on a journey with Darius with a great ending! Wishing the best for Darius and his family; never has a serial criminal been so likable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely beautiful and insightful documentary which unfortunately shows the reality of one of the many unforeseen affects which bullying has on young children which inevitably affects a talented and highly intellectual young human being in this particular case.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Audience Member

Very good documentary with the story, which is to weird to be fiction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

A "tragic hero" in the classic sense - made more poignant because Darius' story is not fiction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

Both illuminating and highly entertaining, this film is everything I look for in a documentary. Darius, whose life is depicted in the doc, has a sweet, intelligent nature about him when speaking that really tugs at the feels. This is the kind of story that makes you want to take action in support of human rights and people like Darius.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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Adam Irving

Director

Shaun R. Clarke

Actor

Romel Harripersaud

Actor

Yun Liu

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Synopsis

The life of Darius McCollum, a man whose obsession with mass transit has landed him in jail 32 times for impersonating drivers, conductors, token booth clerks, and track repairmen.

Director: Adam Irving
Producer: Adam Irving, Glen Zipper
Screenwriter: Tchavdar Georgiev, Adam Irving
Distributor: The Film Collaborative
Production Co: Zipper Bros Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 4, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.8K
Runtime: 1h 26m

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