All the Way

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Blake- N @PBSAniDom Apr 18, 2026 All the Way (2016) is a solid HBO television film that delivers a well-acted and informative look at Lyndon B. Johnson’s early presidency. It focuses on the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and does a good job showing the political tension and negotiation behind major historical change. Bryan Cranston is the clear highlight, giving a strong and convincing performance as LBJ, capturing both his political skill and personal intensity. The supporting cast also helps bring the era and key figures to life, making the political scenes engaging even when they are dialogue-heavy. The film is fairly straightforward in its presentation and sticks closely to its historical narrative, which makes it more educational than dramatic in some moments. It doesn’t try to be flashy, but it remains steady and well-structured throughout. Overall, it’s a good made-for-TV historical drama that is informative, well-acted, and consistently watchable. A solid 7/10. See more Henry D @Henry_Domke Apr 1, 2026 LBJ was a surprisingly effective president, and this is a surprisingly effective film. It’s hard to believe how completely Bryan Cranston becomes him on screen. The makeup helps, but this is pure, grade-A acting. Nothing flashy or showy, just confident, well-crafted filmmaking. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Mar 18, 2025 This truly shows in defining LBJ’s political struggles as Jay Roach timely sought relevant demonstratable trappings between Bryce Cranston’s gravitational capture and Anthony Mackie’s superb embodiment, both being routine convictions in executing a solid screenplay with unexpected minimal disconnection. (B+) See more My N @Mynerva Sep 25, 2023 Excellent. Bryan Cranston and his meticulous make-up artist surprise us in this compelling embodiment of LBJ. Cranston looks and sounds the part well enough to allow us to revisit critical moments in U.S. history. And the strong cast -incl. Frank Langella, Melissa Leo, Anthony Mackie- help to make this film one of the best portrayals of the 36th president, reminding us that LBJ's domestic legacy is far-reaching and long lasting, despite his shortcomings in foreign policy. A must see movie. See more Aaron S @RT79746728 Nov 9, 2022 Well acted by a great cast with great production value, All the Way is a very good movie if you're interested in watching what Lyndon B. Johnson's first year as president leading up to his election was like. I, unfortunately, was not particularly in the mood for it and despite finishing it and thinking it was indeed a good historical drama, it just was too intermittently boring to really win me over. See more Ben D @RT87620530 Feb 15, 2022 As Your Honor taught us, despite Cranston being a phenomenal actor, he cannot do it alone. Luckily, All the Way pairs this great American actor with one of the most interesting and tumultuous times in American history to form a significant and entertaining movie — even if they did Barry Goldwater (who was much less of a racist than LBJ) dirty. Cranston plays Lyndon B. Johnson, successor to JFK. A conflicted man who used his penis to intimidate his colleagues and enemies (although, I think we only got one dick reference here), LBJ's legacy is one of the more interesting ones in Presidential history: Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts = Good; Vietnam surge = Bad. There are several interweaving storylines here, all with Johnson at the fulcrum. LBJ and Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie), LBJ and J. Edgar Hoover (Stephen Root), LBJ and Hubert Humphrey (Bradley Whitford), and several others. I haven't seen much LBJ footage, but I feel like Cranston does an exceptional job anyway — if it's not an imitation, it's definitely a transformation. It runs a smidge long and is definitely a pro-LBJ story with little nuance, but overall it showcases the many sides of the 36th President, from his most aggressive to most vulnerable. See more Read all reviews

All the Way

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