Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

The Railway Man

R Released Apr 11, 2014 1h 48m History Drama Biography List
68% Tomatometer 127 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

The Railway Man

The Railway Man

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Understated to a fault, The Railway Man transcends its occasionally stodgy pacing with a touching, fact-based story and the quiet chemistry of its stars.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (127) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Times (UK) Fortunately, the unwieldy structure doesn’t obscure the quality performances... Aug 24, 2022 Full Review Edward Porter Times (UK) [An] absorbing, slightly exaggerated account of a true story... Aug 22, 2022 Full Review Larushka Ivan-Zadeh metro.co.uk It's well acted, with a few moments of remarkable intensity, but it's not a journey you'd rush to take. Rated: 3/5 Sep 6, 2017 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies “The Railway Man” works because of the amazing story and the fabulous performances who bring it to life. Rated: 4/5 Aug 24, 2022 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens The Railway Man packs an emotional punch to move even the coldest heart; so powerful you feel the pain, you feel burdens lift as demons are faced, you feel the forgiveness fill the screen and the room, and just watching you are lifted and uplifted. Dec 14, 2019 Full Review Katie Smith-Wong Flick Feast Director Teplitzky lacks narrative power behind what should be a traumatic experience. When you see more poignancy in the end credits rather than the actual film, it is a sign to show where the real strength of the story lies. Rated: 2.5/5 Nov 21, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (596) audience reviews
Igor S I read about the real story about these 2 ex soldiers many years ago and confess i don't know much about it but i get the feeling that this movie should have been alot better, especially when given such a powerful act like life long trauma and forgiveness. Some characters weren't as fleshed out as they should have been; some things happen to fast and the movie is filled with repetitive scenes. Although i understand the repetitiveness, because often times, that how the lifes of people with trauma seem like to them, there is no excuse for the rest. A powerful, real life story like this has so much potential that it's a shame it was never fully realized. The true heart of the movie tho (forgiveness and the healing that comes from it) is definitely here and it is impactful. It's worth seeing just for that message alone. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/28/24 Full Review Wayne M I give this 2 stars and 5 yawns. Based on an interesting true story, though The Railway Man fails to deliver. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/24 Full Review Ronald H Ignore the cynical critics who dissed this movie. They're in the minority anyway. The movie has its flaws---the characters are not as deeply drawn as they could be,; Lomax's marriage is sketched too quickly; Nicole Kidman's part is underwritten. But the movie's message is so powerful and presented with such integrity, the minor shortcomings are irrelevant. I would add that films that use non-chronological storytelling often annoy me. It seems like a cheap and unnecessary trick But here, for some reason, it works. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/06/24 Full Review Hatsuhito S 自分たちのことは棚にあげた戦勝国の都合の映画。 テーマは怒りの抑制は相手を赦すこと? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/27/23 Full Review Chris J Although this mini series had some corny moments and dramatic overacting, I honestly thought it was very well made and did offer some epic scenes. I recommend it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/22/23 Full Review Simon M Not as good as the Chernobyl or Fukushima dramas but pretty good. The dubbed version suffers from stereotypical Indian accents but certainly worth a view. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Railway Man

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

12 Years a Slave 95% 90% 12 Years a Slave TRAILER for 12 Years a Slave Mr. Turner 97% 56% Mr. Turner The Devil's Violinist 31% 45% The Devil's Violinist Life 64% 45% Life TRAILER for Life Jackie 88% 60% Jackie TRAILER for Jackie Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.
Director
Jonathan Teplitzky
Producer
Chris Brown, Bill Curbishley
Screenwriter
Frank Cottrell Boyce, Andy Paterson
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Archer Street Productions
Rating
R (Disturbing POW Violence)
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 11, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.4M
Runtime
1h 48m
Most Popular at Home Now