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The Road

Play trailer Poster for The Road R Released Dec 18, 2009 1h 50m Drama Mystery & Thriller Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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74% Tomatometer 216 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
America is a grim, gray shadow of itself after a catastrophe. A man (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wander through this post-apocalyptic world, trying to keep the dream of civilization alive. They journey toward the sea, surviving as best they can on what they can scavenge, and try to avoid roving gangs of savage humans who will turn them into slaves, or worse.
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The Road

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Critics Consensus

The Road's commitment to Cormac McCarthy's dark vision may prove too unyielding for some, but the film benefits from hauntingly powerful performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi McPhee.

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Critics Reviews

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Shadow and Act Staff Shadow and Act I still recommend The Road; just keep in mind that this is Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic tale, not Richard Matheson's. Sep 13, 2022 Full Review Deborah Ross The Spectator I cannot say how faithful this is but, having read other McCarthy books, would say the novel probably repaid your attention with its astonishing prose. This, though, puts you through the wringer, but doesn't repay you in any way. Aug 30, 2018 Full Review Ed Koch The Atlantic It wasn't fascinating at all. The movie looked like it cost $500 to make, excluding actors' salaries, which were worth another $500. Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Michael Leader Den of Geek While The Road is not without its impressive aspects, it has not efficiently pulled taut the slack created by the loss of McCarthy’s commanding prose. And so, it is hard to avoid the sense that it needn’t have been made at all. Rated: 3/5 May 7, 2024 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Plan to see it twice—once to familiarize yourself with its unconventional, non-commercial method of storytelling, and a second time that allows you to submerge into the material, to appreciate how stunningly composed it is. Rated: 4/4 Aug 30, 2023 Full Review James Croot The Post NZ While such a depressing, disturbing and disquieting conceit will not be everyone's ideal of almost two hours entertainment, The Road is one of the great films of the 21st century. Rated: 5/5 May 31, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gabriel T It was shocking and heartbreaking. It has been a long time since I watched nothing so melancholy and depressing. Everything is grey, devastated and devastating Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Adelynn P sucks sucks sucks sucks sucks Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review Dani G Pessimistic, post-apocalyptic, grey, father-son, survival film. Not corny, not encouraging, just what it is Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Torin F THE ROAD is melancholic and bleak, a funereal post-apocalyptic survival saga utterly stripped of fantasy or heroics. It's a beautifully crafted film, often hauntingly so, at times gripping but ultimately requiring commitment to endure. The ending, though hopeful, highlights the emotional distance of the preceding 2+ hours as perhaps justifiable, even necessary, but also somewhat unsatisfying. A memorable experience for sure, but not one that welcomes repeat viewing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Dallas W How did I miss this movie? Finally streamed it last night and I was glued. The cinematography and the flow of the movie was fantastic! I highly recommend if you are looking for for a gripping dystopian movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Jah F Well acted and choreographed, it's very intense and takes all of the glory out of apocalyptic survival..just as it should. Excellent. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Road

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The Road

The Road: Official Clip - The Last Man Alive The Road: Official Clip - The Last Man Alive 2:54 The Road: Official Clip - The Coast The Road: Official Clip - The Coast 2:18 The Road: Official Clip - From Another World The Road: Official Clip - From Another World 2:20 The Road: Official Clip - Earthquake The Road: Official Clip - Earthquake 2:23 The Road: Official Clip - The Thief The Road: Official Clip - The Thief 2:57 The Road: Official Clip - First Kill The Road: Official Clip - First Kill 2:37 The Road: Official Clip - Her Final Gift The Road: Official Clip - Her Final Gift 2:40 The Road: Official Clip - God Never Spoke The Road: Official Clip - God Never Spoke 2:43 The Road: Official Clip - Human Livestock The Road: Official Clip - Human Livestock 2:54 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis America is a grim, gray shadow of itself after a catastrophe. A man (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wander through this post-apocalyptic world, trying to keep the dream of civilization alive. They journey toward the sea, surviving as best they can on what they can scavenge, and try to avoid roving gangs of savage humans who will turn them into slaves, or worse.
Director
John Hillcoat
Producer
Paula Mae Schwartz, Steve Schwartz, Nick Wechsler
Screenwriter
Joe Penhall
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Dimension Films, Chockstone Pictures, 2929 Productions
Rating
R (Language|Disturbing Images|Some Violence)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 18, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.1M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
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