Thunder Road

PG

Released May 10, 1958

1h 32m

Adventure

Drama

Action

List

75%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

64%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin (Robert Mitchum) makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon (Trevor Bardette), but won't let his younger brother Robin (James Mitchum) join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett (Gene Barry), who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.

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Nick Schager

Slant Magazine

Southern drive-in staple Thunder Road is basically The Robert Mitchum Show.

May 1, 2006

Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

A fun example of how cool and influential a film can be without being particularly good.

Feb 23, 2024

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Robert Mitchum starred in, produced and wrote the story for this cult hit about a stampeding moonshine driver, and even got a hit song out of it.

Rated: 4/5

May 29, 2023

Full Review

John Beifuss

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Bruce Springsteen borrowed its title and Burt Reynolds appropriated its anti-'revenooer' appeal, but just shy of its 60th anniversary, 'Thunder Road' remains very much the property of its actor-as-auteur leading man, Robert Mitchum.

Rated: 3/4

May 15, 2015

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

The world of moonshine transporters is keyed to Mitchum's fatalist-hobo wryness

Sep 25, 2009

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The ultimate road movie.

Rated: A

Jun 20, 2006

Full Review

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nick s

This was a rather grim movie with few moments of levity or charm, but it was quite well put together.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Great film! A must for Robert Mitchum fans, & anyone who enjoys old cars and a good story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Shows Ashville,NC as it was in 1958.Historical on moonshining.To me,the movie was very interesting.Reminds me of Junior Johnson and how Nascar got started!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Robert Mitchell in his moonshine movie. Springsteen got his song title from this song.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good movie. Great cars. I would have been on the side of the whiskey runners. Sad end... why did Mitchum write it that way?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Robert Mitchum plays up his "bad boy" charm as a "transporter" running illegal moonshine across the South in a souped up 1950 Ford. Mitchum also produced and co-wrote the title song (not the Bruce Springsteen song, which only stole its title from this film) and no doubt selected his son, James, to play his younger brother. You'll need to set aside the unusual move that sees Mitchum still playing a kid at 40 but that's probably not all that requires suspension of disbelief here. Yet the action sequences, with the Feds and some crooked mobsters chasing Mitchum, feel authentic and so too do some of the Southern locations (filmed in and around Asheville, North Carolina). I hear this is a "cult classic" and I don't think it warrants that status but it's not bad. If only the rest of the acting was on Mitchum (Senior)'s level.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

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Arthur Ripley

Director

Robert Mitchum

Lucas Doolin

Gene Barry

Troy Barrett

Jacques Aubuchon

Carl Kogan

Keely Smith

Francie Wymore

James Mitchum

Robin Doolin

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Synopsis

Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin (Robert Mitchum) makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon (Trevor Bardette), but won't let his younger brother Robin (James Mitchum) join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan (Jacques Aubuchon), who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett (Gene Barry), who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.

Director: Arthur Ripley
Screenwriter: Robert Mitchum, James Atlee Phillips, Walter Wise
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: D.R.M. Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 1958, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $146.0K
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Mono

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