The Railway Man

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The Railway Man

R

Released Apr 11, 2014

1h 48m

History

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

126 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.

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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.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Fortunately, the unwieldy structure doesn’t obscure the quality performances...

Aug 24, 2022

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Edward Porter

The Times (UK)

[An] absorbing, slightly exaggerated account of a true story...

Aug 22, 2022

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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

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

"The Railway Man" is a flashback drama that grows and blossoms with powerful intrigue.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 28, 2025

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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

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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

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Simon N

For me books give a far more detailed account than film's . I enjoyed the film but felt that some important points got left out and this affected the true account of what Eric Lomax went through to survive the war and what happened afterwards.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

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Jody B

I honestly thought this was a great movie. As a survivor of trauma myself, I found this movie to be thought provoking and deep. Well done and a must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Jonathan Teplitzky

Director

Colin Firth

Eric Lomax

Nicole Kidman

Patti Lomax

Jeremy Irvine

Young Eric

Stellan Skarsgård

Finlay

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Nagase

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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

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