The Road

The Road is one of the most thought provoking films of recent years. Based on the bestselling book by Cormac McCarthy the story follows a man and his son on their journey through a post apocalyptic America. The lead roles are played by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee with support from Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and Charlize Theron.

The masterstroke is the way it takes all of the insecurities and paranoia most parents suffer from and amplifies them tenfold. Audiences were split in their assessment of the film. It is one of those described as a ‘Marmite’ you either love it or hate it, that said many of the dissenters agreed that the film was well made and the acting superb. The film is redolent of other films in the post apocalyptic genre such as 28 Days Later, The Book of Eli and Mad Max.

This is certainly a dark story, very well shot, with a number of disturbing and equally moving scenes, particularly between father and son and the various characters that they encounter. The acting throughout is superb and the locations are well chosen. The ending set next to the sea is very atmospheric and instils the viewer with a sense of hope for the young son.