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This Must Be the Place

Play trailer Poster for This Must Be the Place R 2012 1h 58m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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66% Tomatometer 87 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
At 50 years of age, former rock star Cheyenne (Sean Penn) still dresses the part and lives in Ireland off the royalties and dividends from smart investments. The death of his estranged father brings Cheyenne back to New York, where he discovers the old man had one obsession: to hunt down a Nazi war criminal (Heinz Lieven). Cheyenne decides to pick up the quest where his late father left off, and sets out at his own pace on a journey across America.
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This Must Be the Place

This Must Be the Place

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Critics Consensus

This Must Be the Place may feature too many wayward detours to satisfy some passengers, but Sean Penn's beguiling performance and Paolo Sorrentino's scenic visuals make this a road trip worth following.

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Critics Reviews

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Nicolas Rapold Film Comment Magazine Jun 28, 2013
The conceit of showing a pop-culture figure's life out of the limelight is beyond hackneyed, but the film's incongruous visual splendor and Penn's all-or-nothing commitment keep Sorrentino's unabashed folly afloat for a while. Go to Full Review Scott Foundas Film Comment Magazine Jun 20, 2013
Sorrentino's aggressively life-affirming movie has wormed its way into the hearts of a surprising number of usually sensible, discerning critics. Go to Full Review Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch Nov 21, 2012
2.5/4
Penn has created a colorful tour guide, but in "This Must Be the Place," there's no there there. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Jun 27, 2023
5/10
Penn's performance as the rockstar offers slight moments of eccentricity, but his road trip turns dull and loses substance when it stops to interrogate the platitudes of loneliness, old age, and the need for self-discovery. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Oct 4, 2022
5.5/10
In tragicomic and pompous tone, Sorrentino once again gloats over the pathos of his characters. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Apr 27, 2020
3/5
It elicits a form of emotional rapture that is either the story's themes subtly catching up on the viewer or Sorrentino's shamanistic direction papering over the film's cracks Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Amy G @AmyGu Jul 6, 2026 Sublime! Moving, beautifully filmed, just a gem. It's a sentimental journey of coming to terms with loss and it's a thinker. Loved watching it (after seeing a clip on social media) and getting to see Sean Penn deliver a wonderfully earnest performance. See more Eric H. @RT27009131 Jun 4, 2026 Endearing yet too boring to amount to much. See more Andrei D @RT74856639 Apr 3, 2025 The core concept and the off beat rhythm sometimes work and Penn is pretty good but its elements do not fully coalesce into something actually engaging See more Michele M @RT05943730 Oct 27, 2024 It's not for everyone, of course. I love quirky, slower-paced films with characters that are strange and lovely. There were parts that didn't quite connect for me, yet the film as a whole is beautiful in pacing, character development, and weirdness. Sound track is great, too. Of course, everything Frances McDormand is in is worth watching! See more Bill W @RT55041566 Sep 13, 2024 This was slow and unbearable. I tried to force myself to watch it but gave up halfway through. See more Craig H @RT71342644 Sep 7, 2024 I just stumbled across this "Sean Penn" movie and of course, watched it, and man am I glad I did. The part Sean plays is right up there with his best. Watch it, I think you'll like it See more Read all reviews
This Must Be the Place

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Cast & Crew

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Paolo Sorrentino

Director

Sean Penn

Cheyenne

Frances McDormand

Jane

Eve Hewson

Mary

Kerry Condon

Rachel

Harry Dean Stanton

Robert Plath

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This Must Be the Place

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Movie Info

Synopsis At 50 years of age, former rock star Cheyenne (Sean Penn) still dresses the part and lives in Ireland off the royalties and dividends from smart investments. The death of his estranged father brings Cheyenne back to New York, where he discovers the old man had one obsession: to hunt down a Nazi war criminal (Heinz Lieven). Cheyenne decides to pick up the quest where his late father left off, and sets out at his own pace on a journey across America.
Director
Paolo Sorrentino
Producer
Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Andrea Occhipinti
Screenwriter
Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contarello
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Lucky Red, Medusa Film, Indigo Films
Rating
R (Language|Brief Disturbing Images|Some Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 2, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 13, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$142.2K
Runtime
1h 58m
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