Adapting a masterpiece such as The Road is a thankless task, but the film doesn't work on its own merits.

Rate this Movie ![]()
- Showtimes & Tickets
- Write a Review
- Read Reviews
- Add to List
- Get this Movie
- Buy Poster

- Visit Official Site

The Road (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:21
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.9/10
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some violence, disturbing images and language
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Nov 25, 2009 Wide
Synopsis: After the Oscar-winning success of the adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, another of the author's works arrives on screen. Viggo Mortensen stars in THE ROAD, a thriller... After the Oscar-winning success of the adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, another of the author's works arrives on screen. Viggo Mortensen stars in THE ROAD, a thriller that is set in a bare, post-apocalyptic America, where a father and son struggle to survive. Director John Hillcoat previously teamed with star Guy Pearce on the critically acclaimed Western THE PROPOSITION. [More]
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi McPhee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi McPhee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall
Director: John Hillcoat
Director: John Hillcoat
Screenwriter: Joe Penhall
Producer: Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz
Composer: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
Studio: Weinstein Company
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Road
"The Road" is like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest when no human or animal is around. Whether or not it makes a sound is a moot point.
A cinematic adaptation at once faithful and superior to its source material.
Hillcoat has a way of undermining the earthy performances of his cast with overly refined images and obtrusive music.
One of the most important and moving films to come along in a long time.
Hillcoat took it as far as he dared and created a beautiful suffering; a film that somehow manages to be both unwatchable and unmissable at the same time.
This relentlessly grim drama, which is much tougher and more challenging as screen text than No Country for Old Men, deserves to be seen for the Oscar-caliber performance of Viggo Mortensen, who carries the whole film on his solid shoulders.
Evocative as it is, The Road comes up short, not because it’s bleak but because it’s monotonous, and because McCarthy’s vision is finally as inflexible as his patriarchal hero’s.
Despite the carps, a receptiveness to this material will pay off in tension and suspense, pushing you off The Road in a state of emotional exhaustion.
And unlike the better-than-the-book No Country for Old Men, it's only as good as the book. I guess I'm saying there's enough blame to go around.
Overall, THE ROAD is a horror movie in the truest sense -- it is about the horror of humanity, the horror of our legacy, the horror of what we might become.
When a movie is bleak and depressing, it had better be damned good. The Road is damned bad.
For all of its bleak content, the final equation proves surprisingly optimistic.
You won't find anything entertaining in The Road but maybe you'll find something else.
pure, stripped-down bleakness, both in the desaturated drabness of its appearance and in the last-days essentialism of its themes.
The Road is a film that, to quote Mark Twain, knows the words but not the music. It evokes the images and the characters of Cormac McCarthy's novel, but lacks a core of emotional feeling.
Partly horror, partly sci-fi, mostly a family-bonding drama with stellar acting and patient action.
It's hard not to divine that The Road will be receiving near universal acclaim and a truckload of Oscar noms.
...one couldn't have asked for a more faithful translation from page to screen...
Really pulls you in and sticks with you ... an incredibly strong piece of dramatic storytelling.
Latest News for The Road
October 02, 2009:
New: Brand New Trailer and Poster ![]()
More...
September 22, 2009:
Viggo Mortensen Dismisses Retirement Rumors, Talks The Road ![]()
With the long-delayed "The Road" finally reaching theaters in a few weeks, Viggo Mortensen might have one of the year's best movies on his hands -- and despite rumors of his... More...
September 08, 2009:
Up in the Air, The Road Impress at Telluride ![]()
"Up in the Air" generated applause, "The Road" brought people to tears, and "Paranormal Activity" scared them half to death. This year's Telluride Film Festival is on the books,... More...
May 25, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | |
|---|---|---|
| 72% 72% | The Road | |
| 40% 40% | Ninja Assassin | |
| | The Princess and the Frog | |
| | Old Dogs | |
| 77% 77% | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!


Top Critic


