There won’t be any tolls on this road, as Viggo Mortensen’s post-apocalyptic thriller is coming to streaming for free.
Though he is best known for his breakout role as Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), Mortensen has also collaborated with David Cronenberg on several films, including Eastern Promises (2007), diving into the director’s dark edge and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Mortensen earned additional Oscar nods for Captain Fantastic (2016) and Green Book (2018), but it’s his bleak post-apocalyptic movie that is coming to streaming for free.
Viggo Mortensen’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked
Viggo Mortensen is one of the most prolific actors of his generation, and his best movies include Academy Award winners and box office hits.
Nearly two decades after its theatrical release, The Road will officially stream for free. Directed by John Hillcoat, with a script written by Joe Penhall based on the late Cormac McCarthy’s iconic 2006 novel, The Road follows Viggo Mortensen as a father who travels with his young son across a post-apocalyptic wasteland toward the sea to find safety.
Now, following its theatrical release in 2009, The Road is coming to Tubi on May 25. It is currently streaming on Paramount+, Prime Video, and Howdy, and is also available to buy on Prime Video from $12.99.
In addition to Viggo Mortensen in the lead role, the cast also includes Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Oscar winner Charlize Theron (Monster), Oscar nominee Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), seven-time Oscar nominee Robert Duvall, Emmy nominee Molly Parker (House of Cards), the late five-time Emmy nominee Michael K. Williams, Garret Dillahunt, Gina Preciado, and Mary Rawson.
The Road received rave reviews, resulting in a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics claiming that the adaptation stays faithful to Cormac McCarthy’s bleak vision, which may feel uncompromising for some viewers, but it is elevated by haunting and emotionally charged performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It also has a 68% audience score.
However, the film failed to make much of an impact at the box office, grossing only $27.6 million worldwide, which was just enough to make back its $25 million budget. The Road also didn’t receive as much awards recognition as expected, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography as one of its only major nods.
The Road is one of those non-horror movies that is scarier than any horror film. The greatest danger isn’t the world in which the father and son live, but the other survivors who inhabit it. Though post-apocalyptic stories continue to multiply, The Road remains a defining touchstone. In its world, survival offers no solace, and even those who endure find no happy ending awaiting them.
- Release Date
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November 25, 2009
- Runtime
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111 minutes
- Director
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John Hillcoat
- Writers
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Joe Penhall