--- title: "The Road: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-road-2009/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-road-2009" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Road (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 12 reviews: 8 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond positively to The Road, with praise centred on the father-and-son relationship and the convincing desolation around them. The reviews repeatedly credit Viggo Mortensen with giving the bleak journey emotional weight, while the stark photography makes the ruined landscape feel credible and threatening. Even several of the more reserved responses find the film affecting, admiring its seriousness, its tension and the tenderness between its central characters. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to mixed assessments, with no wholly negative verdicts. Reservations concern stretched passages, repetitive episodes and how successfully the film translates the novel to the screen. Slant Magazine finds the adaptation overly literal despite strong performances, while Collider argues that the relentless bleakness makes the journey feel pointless, even as it acknowledges Mortensen’s emotional range. The main disagreement is over whether the human connection gives that suffering enough purpose. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 24 November 2009. Ebert finds the bleak adaptation affecting and emotionally powerful. He singles out the father-and-son relationship as its central strength. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-road-2009) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 December 2009. Jolin finds the film a chillingly effective, emotionally resonant vision of the apocalypse, despite some stretched passages. He particularly praises the tender, affecting father-son moments and the lead performances. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/road-2-review/) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Rating 4/5. The review treats the adaptation as soberingly serious and gives it a positive verdict. It praises the convincing desolation of the post-apocalyptic landscape. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6u6o8m/the-road/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 25 November 2009. The review suggests the film’s ending is emotionally affecting, even for cynics. It singles out the ending’s faint flicker of hope as the source of that response. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-road-1) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B-. 24 November 2009. Tobias finds the film visually haunting but dramatically flat, with episodes that blur together and an ending that turns sentimental. He especially praises the evocative images of a dying earth and the chilling sound of dead trees falling. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-road-1798207542) ## The Hollywood Reporter — The Associated Press Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2009. Festival review. The critic finds the adaptation admirable and haunting, though its bleakness may limit its audience. They praise its rigorously realistic approach and the barren world created by the director and cinematographer. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/road-film-review-93455/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2010. Bradshaw finds the adaptation powerful and intelligent, but says it loses some force by softening the novel’s most shocking material. He praises its heartrending portrayal of the father and son’s loneliness. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/07/the-road-review) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2.5/4. 20 November 2009. Gonzalez finds the adaptation a pale, overly literal version of McCarthy’s novel. He praises the performances of Viggo Mortensen and Robert Duvall, and singles out the underground shelter sequence as the film’s strongest moment. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-road/) ## Paste — Sean Edgar Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2009. The critic calls the adaptation a victory and finds its emotional toll worthwhile. They praise Viggo Mortensen’s performance and John Hillcoat’s bleak, desolate visuals. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-road) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2009. The critic views the film as a stark and affecting adaptation, emphasizing its bleakness and humanity. They praise its beautiful, spare visual style and the metaphysical resonance of the father and son's journey. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-road-film-review-by-anton-bitel) ## Den of Geek — Michael Leader Rating 3/5. 6 January 2010. The critic finds the film affecting and accomplished but ultimately a deficient adaptation that did not need to be made. He praises the stark photography and especially the cannibal-house sequence’s expertly built tension. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-road-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C. 25 November 2009. Goldberg finds the film so relentlessly bleak that its journey ultimately feels pointless, despite its tension and emotional force. He praises Javier Aguirresarobe’s muted cinematography and singles out Viggo Mortensen’s performance for finding emotional range in the grim circumstances. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-road-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-road-2009.md