Favorite ON THE ROAD movies You May Have Never Seen
There's always been a special place around the world for adventure movies based upon traveling the open road. Here's a list of my favorite road movies that will perk the interest of any road warrior. More emphasis on the journey itself rather than the cars they drive.. Key Words of Quirky, Witty, Abstract Characters, Sci Fi, Dark Comedies, Dramedy's, Thrillers, Psychedelia, Flat out adventures and a dash of Horror, Post Apocalyptic and Romance films :) Please add if you can... and comments appreciated (pretty much in order imo)
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- DirectorGoran DukicStarsPatrick FugitShea WhighamTom WaitsA film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.
- DirectorBob GaleStarsJames MarsdenGary OldmanKurt RussellNeal Oliver, a very confused young artist, takes a journey of a lifetime on a highway that doesn't exist on any map, going to places he's never heard of, searching for an answer and his dream girl.
- DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.Similar in mood to One Week (2008)
- DirectorJames CoxStarsKimberley KatesJared LetoJake GyllenhaalAfter Jack gets caught with a Vegas mobster's wife in bed, he's gotta hit the road. Jack's best friend Pilot accompanies him, and the pair sets out on an adventure akin to Kerouac's "On the Road".
- DirectorAbbe WoolStarsJohn DoeAdam HorovitzDavid Anthony MarshallTwo strangers meet on the road and travel through Nevada on motorcycle to find an elusive spot where they can dump another man's ashes.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJohnny DeppBenicio Del ToroTobey MaguireAn oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.
- DirectorJim MickleStarsConnor PaoloNick DamiciKelly McGillisIn a world of vampires, an expert vampire hunter and his young protégé travel toward sanctuary.
- DirectorGregory MackenzieStarsSienna MillerJames FrancoDavid CarradineA twisted honeymoon adventure about a young couple on their way to Niagara Falls.
- DirectorSteve AndersonStarsJon FavreauJoey Lauren AdamsKelsey GrammerJohn Person is an actor with little work, and no money, who suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to make some quick cash by delivering a suitcase to the middle of nowhere.half road movie, half small desert town movie
- DirectorBarry ShilsStarsJordan Christopher MichaelMartha QuinnMichael NaegelA ten year-old boy runs away from his abusive parents, steals a Mustang, and a pursues a promotional card game sold at gas stations.Bizarre. Lynchesque.
- DirectorMartin HynesStarsLou Taylor PucciZooey DeschanelM. WardWhen his mother dies, a teenager takes a road-trip in a stolen car to find his long-lost brother. Along the way he discovers a profound connection with the car-owner and with himself as well.
- DirectorAte de JongStarsPatrick BerginAdam StorkeChad LoweAn eloping bride is taken into Hell, and her fiancé must pursue.
- DirectorRuben FleischerStarsJesse EisenbergEmma StoneWoody HarrelsonA shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.
- DirectorBrett PierceDrew T. PierceStarsMichael McKiddyRoss KidderMarkus TaylorTwo inexplicably coherent zombies awake amidst a zombie attack, and decide to take a road trip to find the one's lost love, unaware they are being chased by the agents of a ruthless company with its own agenda.i cant recommend this movie enough. Quirky, darkly funny, touching, cross country road trip with 2 coherent zombies
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsWoody HarrelsonJon SedaAnne BancroftA prestigious oncologist learns a valuable lesson in humility and is forced to reexamine his relationship with medicine and his life in general when Brandon, a young patient and convicted for murder, kidnaps him at gunpoint.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsJeff BridgesKaren AllenCharles Martin SmithAn alien takes the form of a young Wisconsin widow's husband and makes her drive him to his departure point in Arizona. Distrustful government agents, along with a more ambivalent scientist, give pursuit in hopes of intercepting them.John Carpenter's the man
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsOwen WilsonAdrien BrodyJason SchwartzmanA year after their father's funeral, three brothers travel across India by train in an attempt to bond with each other.
- DirectorTrent HarrisStarsCrispin GloverHoward HessemanKaren BlackAn unsuccessful, nervous businessman gradually comes to befriend an eccentric, asocial nerd on a trip to Utah to bury a deceased cat.Best Utah road movie ever. Quirky.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsPaul ReubensElizabeth DailyMark HoltonWhen eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.
- DirectorJonathan WacksStarsGary FarmerA MartinezJoanelle RomeroTwo Northern Cheyenne men take a road trip from Montana to New Mexico to bail out the sister of one of them who has been framed and arrested in Santa Fe. On the way, they begin to reconnect to their spiritual heritage.
- DirectorDemian LichtensteinStarsKurt RussellKevin CostnerCourteney CoxA gang of ex-cons rob a casino during Elvis convention week.
- DirectorKyle NewmanStarsDan FoglerJay BaruchelKristen BellStar Wars fanatics take a cross-country trip to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch so their dying friend can see a screening of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) before its release.
- DirectorJunya SakinoStarsGaku HamadaEugene KimMarlane BarnesA sarcastic and self-deprecating Asian-American must take his naive Japanese cousin on a road trip along the California coast to find his ex-girlfriend.
- DirectorKevin GoetzMichael GoetzStarsJosh DuhamelDan FoglerMiracle LaurieTensions rise between lifelong friends Mitchell and Carter after their truck breaks down on an isolated desert road as they start to attack each other's life decisions with unwavering brutality.
- DirectorBlair HayesStarsJake GyllenhaalSwoosie KurtzMarley SheltonBubble Boy's been in a bubble all his life due to no immune system. A cute blonde girl befriends BB. Her boyfriend proposes and BB decides to travel across USA to Niagara Falls to stop the wedding.Very lighthearted but very good all the same. when i had the flu i watched it and it became one of my favorites.
- DirectorVictor SalvaStarsEric RobertsLance HenriksenBrion JamesTwo men, both hiding a deadly secret, are on a murderous rampage through the desert.This movie is a WILD thrill ride. If you watch it once, you will have to watch it again. One of my new favorite action suspense thriller road movies.
- DirectorMonte MarkhamStarsMichael IronsideVanityLyle Alzado"Mad Max" clone set in the not-too-distant future about a group of people trying to escape to a safe haven called Neon City after a solar disaster that has decimated the Earth.One of my favorite Post Apocalyptic Movies. Train on a road to get to Neon City!
- DirectorNigel ColeStarsChristopher WalkenAlessandro NivolaSharon StoneThe son of a thrifty conman begrudgingly joins his father on the road.
- DirectorMichael McGowanStarsJoshua JacksonPeter SpenceMarc StrangeChronicles the motorcycle trip of Ben Tyler as he rides from Toronto to Tofino, British Columbia. Ben stops at landmarks that are both iconic and idiosyncratic on his quest to find meaning in his life.similar in mood to Into the Wild
- DirectorHoward J. FordJonathan FordStarsRob FreemanPrince David OseiDavid DontohAn American mercenary, the sole survivor of a plane crash, has to run the gauntlet across Africa, battling with the living dead.Zombie Road Movie in Africa. Excellent
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsJim HensonFrank OzJerry NelsonKermit and his newfound friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog legs merchant is after Kermit.My first favorite road movie :)
- DirectorPeter FaimanStarsEd O'NeillEthan EmbryJoBeth WilliamsTo get to know his girlfriend's son, a working-class good guy volunteers to pick him up from his prep school, only to learn that he isn't the nicest young man.
- DirectorLorene ScafariaStarsSteve CarellKeira KnightleyMelanie LynskeyAs an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan.
- DirectorAntonio NegretStarsJim CaviezelJames FrainElisabeth RöhmA gang of bank robbers hide their loot in the car of a family going camping. They chase down the family to kill them and get the loot back, but run into a fight.If you like this see Highwaymen 2004
- DirectorJohn RymanStarsMackenzie AstinJohn AlesRachel WilsonA slightly futuristic dark comedy about a young man who finds out he is dying, and goes in search of his first love.wish I could find a copy of this somewhere.. a great one if you can find it!
- DirectorDennis HopperStarsPeter FondaDennis HopperJack NicholsonTwo bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.The one and only
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsBrad PittJulia RobertsJames GandolfiniA man tries to transport an ancient gun called The Mexican, believed to carry a curse, back across the border, while his girlfriend pressures him to give up his criminal ways.not as much of a love story as the cover leads to to believe
- DirectorRichard FranklandStarsLuke CarrollLeon BurchillValentino del ToroBest mates Eddie and Charlie's spiritual journey goes off track and becomes a riotous trip through outback Australia.First all produced Aboriginal road movie comedy from Australia
- DirectorThomas JaneStarsThomas JaneLauren GermanRon PerlmanA couple en route from Las Vegas are forced to deal with a body in the desert, making their honeymoon one hellish ride.If you like this see Zyzzyx Rd (2006) Twilight Zonesque
- DirectorJohn PenneyStarsLeo GrilloKatherine HeiglTom SizemoreStaid accountant Grant finds himself questioning his sanity after he begins a passionate affair with the enigmatic Marissa in Las Vegas and winds up killing her jealous boyfriend, Joey, when he attacks them. But is Joey really dead?If you like this see Dark Country (2009) Twilight Zonesque
- DirectorMatt WalshStarsJames PumphreyAbby ElliottDylan O'BrienA drug-dealer goes cross country with a group of roadies to deliver or else a group of gangsters will kill him.First totally improvised! road movie i've yet to see. Even though its mostly improved the story is thick and very enjoyable as if it were well written. Highly recommended.
- DirectorFinn TaylorStarsJoseph FiennesWinona RyderDavid ArquetteTo investigate bizarre insurance claims that transpired in either accidents, death or both, a former cop and an insurance investigator travel throughout the country to look at the cases up close.Mostly a road movie imo. wouldn't have any other specified category to put it in. Similar to St. John in Las Vegas.
- DirectorGreg MottolaStarsSimon PeggNick FrostSeth RogenTwo English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.
- DirectorAndrew BlackStarsBenjamin GourleyMila KunisJon HederAiming for the top, law intern Rick tells his boss that he'll do anything--such as driving the boss' cute niece from Miami to Los Angeles and returning three days later well-prepared for the the bar exam.
- DirectorDavid CaffreyStarsJohnny KnoxvilleChristina ApplegateMarley SheltonA partially fictional account of musician Gram Parsons' death and cremation. After Gram ODs in a desert motel in 1973, his road manager steals Gram's body for a last trip to Joshua Tree.
- DirectorLarry CharlesStarsSacha Baron CohenKen DavitianLuenellKazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.
- DirectorLiev SchreiberStarsElijah WoodEugene HutzBoris LyoskinA young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.
- DirectorJohn DahlStarsSteve ZahnPaul WalkerLeelee SobieskiThree young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychopathic killer.
- DirectorJean-Baptiste AndreaFabrice CanepaStarsRay WiseLin ShayeMick CainChristmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.
- DirectorLouis MorneauStarsJim BelushiKylie TravisShannon WhirryA psychiatrist makes multiple trips through time to save a woman that was murdered by her brutal husband.
- DirectorPeter SegalStarsChris FarleyDavid SpadeBrian DennehyAfter his auto-parts tycoon father dies, the overweight, underachieving son teams up with a snide accountant to try and save the family business.
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsSteve MartinJohn CandyLaila RobinsA Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.
- DirectorJonathan MostowStarsKurt RussellJ.T. WalshKathleen QuinlanA man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
- DirectorJason MomoaStarsJason MomoaRobert Homer MollohanLisa BonetWolf, a Native American on the run after avenging his mother's murder, flees across the desolate American West on his motorcycle, where he'll discover that justice has a cost.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJeff DanielsMelanie GriffithGeorge 'Red' SchwartzA free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.Part romance, part quirky comedy. Very bizarre and highly recommended
- DirectorChris EyreStarsAdam BeachEvan AdamsIrene BedardArnold rescued Thomas from a fire when he was a child. Thomas thinks of Arnold as a hero, while Arnold's son Victor resents his father's alcoholism, violence and abandonment of his family.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDennis WeaverJacqueline ScottEddie FirestoneA business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.
- DirectorJason BloomStarsPaul RuddChristine TaylorReese WitherspoonWyatt writes an angry letter to his girlfriend, believing she's dating Ricker. Ricker's a dog. Helped by stripper Ivy, he tries to get the letter off a truck the next 24 hours.
- DirectorJoe CarnahanStarsPatrick WilsonEd HelmsJames Badge DaleA hard-luck limo driver struggles to go straight and pay off a debt to his bookie. He takes on a job with a crazed passenger, whose sought-after ledger implicates some seriously dangerous criminals.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsAlice LoweKenneth HadleySteve OramChris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.
- DirectorMolly GreenJames LefflerStarsNoël WellsMatt MiderAmanda BauerSophie and Pete get engaged on their first date, which is a 6-hour drive through the desert. And then nothing goes wrong... nothing at all.
- DirectorMargaret WhittonStarsRachel NicholsJackson HurstAnjanette ComerA man in search of his past, and a woman who lives in the moment, are brought together when they pursue the origins of a stray parrot in this comedic and romantic drama.Not set up like a traditional road movie, but lots of roadness to this quirky unconventional romcom
- DirectorRobert HarmonStarsJim CaviezelRhona MitraFrankie FaisonRennie Cray (Caviezel) embarks on a bloodthirsty rampage to avenge the death of his wife who was struck down by a serial killer - a man who hunts and kills women using his '72 El Dorado.if you like this see Transit 2012 Both have Jim Caviezal as the main protagonist
- DirectorHue RhodesStarsSteve BuscemiRomany MalcoSarah SilvermanAn ex-gambler is lured back into the game by a veteran insurance-fraud investigator.Mostly a road movie. Check out Darwin Awards if you like this.
- DirectorSteve WangStarsMark DacascosKadeem HardisonJohn Pyper-FergusonA prototype enhanced human, on the run from Chinese-hired hit men, hooks up with a dread-locked bystander, and the two of them elude their pursuers narrowly each time.
- DirectorGregory JacobsStarsEmily BluntAshton HolmesMartin DonovanTwo college students share a ride home for the holidays, but when they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they are preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.
- DirectorWalter SallesStarsGael García BernalRodrigo de la SernaMía MaestroErnesto Guevara de la Serna, popularly known as Che, along with his friend Alberto Granado, decides to take a road trip across South America. His experiences on the journey transform him.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsRobert De NiroCharles GrodinYaphet KottoA bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.
- DirectorDavid PalmerDax ShepardStarsDax ShepardKristen BellBradley CooperFormer getaway driver Charles Bronson jeopardizes his Witness Protection Plan identity in order to help his girlfriend get to Los Angeles. The feds and Charles' former gang chase them on the road.
- DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsSteve CarellToni ColletteGreg KinnearA family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.
- DirectorWalter SallesStarsSam RileyGarrett HedlundKristen StewartYoung writer Sal Paradise has his life shaken by the arrival of free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his girl, Marylou. As they travel across the country, they encounter a mix of people who each impact their journey indelibly.
- DirectorWalt BeckerStarsTim AllenMartin LawrenceJohn TravoltaA group of suburban biker wannabes looking for adventure hit the open road, but get more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexico gang called the Del Fuegos.Feel good and a little on the middle aged side, but im a fan :)
- DirectorJack N. GreenStarsBill PaxtonMark WahlbergJulianna MarguliesA man joins a group of nomadic con artists in rural North Carolina.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsRobert Downey Jr.Zach GalifianakisMichelle MonaghanHigh-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsWoody HarrelsonEmily MortimerBen KingsleyA Transsiberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers.
- DirectorClare PeploeStarsBridget FondaRussell CroweJim BroadbentSet in the 1950s, Rough Magic tells the story of what happens when a pretty apprentice magician goes to Mexico to escape her fiancé, a wealthy politician, and to find a Mayan shaman who will teach her ancient principles of magic. She is being trailed by a detective hired by her fiancé. He's a former photojournalist traumatized by what he saw in Hiroshima. The photojournalist joins her in the search for the Mayan shaman, and falls in love with her; the feeling is not reciprocated. When she finds the shaman, she drinks a potion which empowers her to do magic. The potion has life-changing effects on her and her relationship with her companion. They have strange experiences which are brought about by magic.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonJoanne SamuelHugh Keays-ByrneIn a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
- DirectorAnne FletcherStarsBarbra StreisandSeth RogenJulene ReneeAs inventor Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, a quick stop at his mom's house turns into an unexpected cross-country voyage with her along for the ride.
- DirectorMorgan J. FreemanStarsMark WebberAntonio OrtizBrendan Sexton IIIA petty thief's mentoring of an apparent orphan takes a profound turn when he kidnaps the boy from a foster home and drives him cross-country to his sister's house in Texas.
- DirectorBruce McDonaldStarsDon McKellarValerie BuhagiarEarl PastkoA small-town barber goes on a road trip from Thunder Bay to New Orleans with an unpredictable woman and a coffin.
- DirectorVictor SalvaStarsJonathan BreckRay WiseNicki AycoxSet a few days after the original, a championship basketball team's bus is attacked by The Creeper, the winged, flesh-eating terror, on the last day of his 23-day feeding frenzy.
- DirectorVictor SalvaStarsGina PhilipsJustin LongJonathan BreckA brother and sister driving home through isolated countryside for spring break encounter a flesh-eating creature which is in the midst of its ritualistic eating spree.
- DirectorDavid MichôdStarsGuy PearceRobert PattinsonScoot McNairy10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves' brother, and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsNicolas CageLaura DernWillem DafoeYoung lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula's mom has hired to kill Sailor.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsWoody HarrelsonJuliette LewisTom SizemoreTwo victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsBreckin MeyerAmy SmartWhoopi GoldbergA Las Vegas casino magnate determined to find a new avenue for wagering sets up a race for money.
- DirectorSalomé BrezinerStarsJake BuseyCrispin GloverNatasha LyonneRick loses his girlfriend to his friend when he spends a night with his favorite porn star. He moves out, picks up a weirdo and goes on a wild road trip to find the porn star again.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiThomas Haden ChurchVirginia MadsenTwo men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
- DirectorDeran SarafianStarsChristopher LambertCraig ShefferDavid ArquetteAt a desert truck stop, a gang of joyriders kidnaps a man's family and kills his brother. The local sheriff is of no help, so the man goes after them himself.
- DirectorJ.S. CardoneStarsRobert ForsterKevin PollakSherilyn FennA drama revolving around a group of strangers brought together by a common occurrence as well as listening to the same radio station.
- DirectorThomas WhelanStarsChristopher MastersonBrooke BurnsJohnny MessnerHaving called off his wedding, a high school graduate journeys alone to Central America, finding adventure with a ragtag group of foreigners who attempt to cross the Darien Gap in record time.
- DirectorJon IvayStarsAlun ap BrinleyGeoff BellPeter BowlesThree friends out for a weekend motorcycle ride through Wales stumble upon a marijuana field and biker gang war.
- DirectorSean AndersStarsJosh ZuckermanClark DukeAmanda CrewA high-school senior drives cross-country with his best friends to hook up with a babe he met online.kind of more teen friendly but still pretty funny to me. same guys did Hot Tub Time Machine
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBreckin MeyerSeann William ScottAmy SmartFour college buddies embark on a road trip to retrieve an illicit tape mistakenly mailed to a female friend.
- DirectorBen FalconeStarsMelissa McCarthySusan SarandonKathy BatesAfter getting fired and finding out that her husband is cheating, Tammy hits the road with her profane, alcoholic grandmother.
- DirectorScott WaughStarsAaron PaulDominic CooperImogen PootsFresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross-country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins.
- DirectorAdam RifkinStarsCharlie SheenKristy SwansonHenry RollinsEscaped convict Jack Hammond takes a woman hostage and sets off for the Mexican border with the police hot on his tail.
- DirectorCoke DanielsStarsDevin CopelandLil DuvalGary OwenTwo marijuana-loving brothers, Earl and Ray Ray, embark on a journey in search of a mythical highway in Kentucky, which they believe will lead them to "marijuana nirvana".Devin The Dude!
- DirectorQuentin DupieuxStarsStephen SpinellaRoxane MesquidaWings HauserA homicidal car tire, discovering it has destructive psionic power, sets its sights on a desert town once a mysterious woman becomes its obsession.
- DirectorMark SteilenStarsKenan ThompsonZachary LeviFran KranzA road trip comedy about three friends who travel across the country in a Wiener Wagon to beat up a popular daytime talk show therapist.super cheesy but i had to add it anyways because there is something oddly appealing about it nonetheless