Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Road

  • 20092009
  • RR
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
237K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,034
155
Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.
Play trailer1:59
5 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
237K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,034
155
  • Director
    • John Hillcoat
  • Writers
    • Joe Penhall(screenplay by)
    • Cormac McCarthy(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Viggo Mortensen
    • Charlize Theron
    • Kodi Smit-McPhee
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Hillcoat
  • Writers
    • Joe Penhall(screenplay by)
    • Cormac McCarthy(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Viggo Mortensen
    • Charlize Theron
    • Kodi Smit-McPhee
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 622User reviews
    • 356Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 5 wins & 34 nominations total

    Videos5

    The Road: International Trailer
    Trailer 1:59
    The Road: International Trailer
    The Road: Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:35
    The Road: Trailer #2
    The Road
    Trailer 2:42
    The Road
    IMDbrief: What You Missed in 'Bird Box'
    Clip 3:20
    IMDbrief: What You Missed in 'Bird Box'
    The Road
    Interview 0:44
    The Road

    Photos125

    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    John Hillcoat in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    John Hillcoat in The Road (2009)
    Charlize Theron in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen in The Road (2009)
    Charlize Theron in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Viggo Mortensen
    Viggo Mortensen
    • Manas Man
    Charlize Theron
    Charlize Theron
    • Womanas Woman
    Kodi Smit-McPhee
    Kodi Smit-McPhee
    • Boyas Boy
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Old Manas Old Man
    Guy Pearce
    Guy Pearce
    • Veteranas Veteran
    Molly Parker
    Molly Parker
    • Motherly Womanas Motherly Woman
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    • Thiefas Thief
    Garret Dillahunt
    Garret Dillahunt
    • Gang Memberas Gang Member
    Bob Jennings
    Bob Jennings
    • Bearded Manas Bearded Man
    Agnes Herrmann
    • Archer's Womanas Archer's Woman
    Buddy Sosthand
    • Archeras Archer
    Kirk Brown
    • Bearded Faceas Bearded Face
    Jack Erdie
    Jack Erdie
    • Bearded Man #2as Bearded Man #2
    David August Lindauer
    • Man On Mattressas Man On Mattress
    Gina Preciado
    Gina Preciado
    • Well Fed Womanas Well Fed Woman
    Mary Rawson
    • Well Fed Woman #2as Well Fed Woman #2
    Jeremy Ambler
    • Man In Cellar #1as Man In Cellar #1
    • (uncredited)
    Aaron Bernard
    Aaron Bernard
    • Militantas Militant
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Hillcoat
    • Writers
      • Joe Penhall(screenplay by)
      • Cormac McCarthy(based on the book by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    A History of Violence
    7.4
    A History of Violence
    Eastern Promises
    7.6
    Eastern Promises
    Children of Men
    7.9
    Children of Men
    Far from Men
    7.2
    Far from Men
    Apocalypto
    7.8
    Apocalypto
    Captain Fantastic
    7.8
    Captain Fantastic
    28 Days Later...
    7.5
    28 Days Later...
    The Book of Eli
    6.8
    The Book of Eli
    Jauja
    6.3
    Jauja
    The Proposition
    7.3
    The Proposition
    Good
    6.2
    Good
    Hidalgo
    6.7
    Hidalgo

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To live the role, Viggo Mortensen would sleep in his clothes and deliberately starve himself. At one point, he was thrown out of a shop in Pittsburgh, because they thought he was a homeless man.
    • Goofs
      The "current" portion of the movie takes place approximately 7-8 years after the "disaster" happened that caused all plant life to die off. If all plant life had died off, there would be no dry grass shooting from the soil, nor dead grass lying on the ground especially with all the weather turmoil happening around. All leaves and dried grass would have decomposed in that amount of time. Furthermore, trees would not have dried leaves hanging from the branches.
    • Quotes

      The Man: Do you ever wish you would die?

      Old Man: No. It's foolish to ask for luxuries in times like these.

    • Crazy credits
      Over the end credits, we hear the sounds of children playing. What the world must have been like in happier times.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2009 (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord No. 3 in E Major: Adagio Ma Non Tanto
      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach (as J.S. Bach)

      Arranged by Ryan Franks

      Performed by Ryan Franks & Harry Scorzo

      Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation

    User reviews622

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    So Well Done I Wanted To Kill Myself
    The Road (1:50, R) — Science Fiction, 3rd string, original

    Among the first words spoken in The Road (adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel) are "It's just another earthquake.". That's supposed to be reassuring.

    It's a bleak, devastated, post-apocalyptic world leached of everything: color, sounds, names, sunshine, warmth, joy, hope. Thru it trudge The Man (Viggo Mortenson) and The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), slowly and painfully making their way to "the coast", where maybe things will be marginally better. Who can say? But what else is there?

    Along the way they encounter The Gang Member (Garret Dillahunt, still as creepy and frightening as he was in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and The Last House on the Left), The Road Gang Leader (Brenna Roth), The Old Man (Robert Duvall), The Thief (Michael K. Williams), and The Veteran (Guy Pearce) and his woman (Molly Parker). In flashbacks to an achingly lost former life, we see The Wife (Charlize Theron).

    And really, once you've named the names, you've pretty well covered the movie. The name of the game is Survival, tho none can say what the point of it is. The food is gone, and clearly no more will be growing. Humans are apparently the only animals to survive the unnamed global disaster, so they represent the sole remaining, rapidly dwindling source of protein. The voices you hear approaching are not the Red Cross.

    Some choose not to play. The Wife, after some low-energy soul-searching, goes the ancient-Eskimo route. "She was gone," The Man remembers, "and the coldness of it was her final gift."

    Others persevere for no cogent reason. "DId you ever wish you would die?", The Man asks. "No," The Old Man replies, "it's foolish to ask for luxuries in times like these."

    The Man and The Boy have 1 gun with 2 bullets left; they are not being reserved for potential assailants. In some of the movie's most agonizing scenes, we see The Man explain not only what must be done but why.

    I walked into this movie 10 hours after leaving the theater where Avatar splashed the screen with color, motion, activity, purpose, a 3rd dimension, and a superb sound track. It is difficult to imagine 2 more disparate films in terms of tone and atmosphere. But both are extremely effective at making their respective worlds seem completely real.

    The movie is unremittingly grim and completely believable. It doesn't pull its punches or sell out. It will haunt you. It's unlikely that anyone else will ever make another movie that treats the end of the world so realistically, so if you want to see the standard against which all others will be compared, this is your chance.

    Stay away if you're depressed or prone to it, and avoid razor blades for 12 hours afterward.
    helpful•126
    25
    • RichardSRussell-1
    • Dec 18, 2009

    FAQ8

    • What is "The Road" about?
    • Is The Road based on a book?
    • What caused all the wildlife to be wiped out?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 25, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Yo'l
    • Filming locations
      • Abandoned Turnpike Tunnels, Breezewood, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dimension Films
      • 2929 Productions
      • Nick Wechsler Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,117,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,502,231
      • Nov 29, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $27,639,579
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for The Road (2009)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    2022 TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in June
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.