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Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci ... see more see more... , Daniel Craig , Tyler Hoechlin , Liam Aiken , Dylan Baker , Ciarán Hinds , Michael Brockman , Jobe Cerny , Diane Dorsey , Timothy Hendrickson , Peggy Roeder , David Darlow , The Monte Carlos , Jack Callahan , Maurie Gallagher , Michael Sassone , Stephen P. Dunn , Mina Badie , Duane Sharp , Harry Groener , Lance Baker , Lara Phillips , Kevin Chamberlin , Doug Spinuzza , Roderick Peeples , Ian Barford , Dylan Barker , Nicholas Cade , Marty Higginbotham , Kathleen Keane , Ed Kross , Keith Kupferer , Lawrence MacGowan , Rob Maxey , Brendan McKinney , Jackie Moran , Kurt Naebig , Heidi Jayne Netzley , Kieran O'Hare , Phil Ridarelli , Lee Roy Rogers , Jon Sattler , John Sierros , Craig Spidle , John Sterchi , Christian Stolte , Paul Turner , James Greene , John Judd

The acclaimed graphic novel from crime writer Max Allan Collins becomes this big budget Dreamworks drama from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter David Self. Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, a mo... read more read more...rally conflicted Depression-era hit man committing murder in the name of his employer, John Rooney (Paul Newman). A kindly, aging Irish crime boss who raised Sullivan as his surrogate son, Rooney is affiliated with Al Capone in Chicago and thus wields great power in the "Tri-Cities" of Moline, IL; Rock Island, IL; and Davenport, IA. Curious about his father's mysterious profession, Sullivan's son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), stows away in his father's automobile one night and witnesses the execution of a man at the hands of Sullivan and Rooney's biological son, Connor (Daniel Craig). Although Michael keeps his promise to remain silent about what he's seen, the paranoid and unstable Connor tries to wipe out the entire Sullivan clan anyway, succeeding only in killing Sullivan's wife, Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and youngest son, Peter (Liam Aiken). Enraged at this and another surprise betrayal by the Rooneys, Sullivan embarks on a path of bloody retribution, Michael in tow. Although he intends to leave his boy with relatives in the rural town of Perdition once the coast is clear, he ends up exposing Michael to the goriest aspects of his talents, slaughtering former associates as he dodges contract assassin Maguire (Jude Law) and cripples the cash flow of the Rooney and Capone organizations through a series of bank robberies, attempting to force either mob family to offer up the sequestered Connor as a sacrifice. Inspired by the popular Japanese comic book series Lone Wolf and Cub and based loosely on an episode from the life and career of notorious real-life crime figures John and Connor Looney, Road to Perdition co-stars Stanley Tucci as legendary Chicago mobster Frank Nitti. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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81% liked it

159,825 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

206 critics

R, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Release Date: July 12, 2002

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DVD Release Date: February 25, 2003

Stats: 7,239 reviews

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Paul Newman in The Road to Perdition Tom Hanks + Tyler Hoechlin Road to Perdition (2002) hooooooooooooooooooooooooooot road to perdition Jennifer Tom Hanks & Paul Newman in The Road to Perdition Road to Perdition Road to Perdition Road to Perdition Road to Perdition
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Flixster Reviews (7,239)

  • fb1463751009
    March 8, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Awwwwwwwww snaaapppp. Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, & Daniel Craig. Sam Mendes, the director of "American Beauty". Game over everyone. lol, too bad this is one of the most cliche mafia movies I've ever seen, but it executes it with high production values, an excellent screenplay, and c... read moreinematography that is done to a perfection that makes the familiar feel fresh. One thing to note is that there is a particular scene in "Road to Perdition" that is one of the most incredible scenes I've ever seen in cinema history. "Road to Perdition" may feel familiar at times, but it takes the familiar and perfects it.
  • DreamExtractor
    October 12, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Road to Perdition is a brilliant and heart wrenching movie. Tom Hanks should've had an Oscar nomination and the kid deserves more credit too. Tom Hanks plays Micheal Sullivan and Tyler Hoechlin plays his son, Micheal is a gangster who works for close friend John Rooney (Paul Ne... read morewman), the friendship between the two makes Johns son (Daniel Craig) very jealous, making him kill Micheals wife and and his younger son, leaving him with his older son and the teo have always been very distant. Together the two go on a journey for vengence, happiness, and a friendship between father and son. The plot was not only genius but it also never gets boring because the music in this movie is so tremendous it makes it seem awesome even during the boring moments, even though there were none. The supporting cast is tremendous, espically Daniel Craig and Paul Newman. This movie is historically accurate, and overall one of the best gangster movies ever made.
  • fb100001048934982
    June 30, 2011
    fb100001048934982
    Sam Mendes' 'Road to Perdition' is an extremely well crafted film with skill and style created by its talented director. Besides an obviously splendid cast filled with overlooked performances (Craig, Tucci, Law), the films cinematography is used as such a powerful tool, a way to ... read moreadvance the story without actually using words. The film is mounted to perfection, completely devoid of cliches as a mob gangster film. The film also ends on an unpredictable note, pure genius from Mendes for catching everyone off guard. Road to Perdition's only flaw, if any, might only be that it lacked the emotional depth it was trying to portray throughout the story. That, along with a slow pace some viewers may find a problem with (not me) are the only negatives i could scrape away from the film, but the emotional depth needed to be there. A winning film, through and through, 'Road to Perdition' deserves every shred of recognition its been given, and then some. You can thank Sam Mendes for that.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    February 10, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Road To Perdition is a different type of gangster film. Starring Tom Hanks and directed by American Beauty director Sam Mendes, Road To Perdition follows a mob Hit man played by Tom Hanks who's son witnesses one of his hits, he is placed at a crossroads. Choosing between his fami... read morely or his employers. When one of Sullivans (Hanks) colleagues murders his family, the decision has clearly been made. I thoroughly enjoyed this film because it's a drastic departure from previous gangster films, which is a breath of fresh air. Tom Hanks delivers a terrific performance, and director Sam Mendes has an eye on the period pieces which really come through on film. The film has a good emphasis on storytelling with a few bits here and there of action. The film is slowly paced to let the story unfold. A terrific film that will appeal to fans of old school gangster films, Road To Perdition is a film that takes a different approach to the gangster genre and in doing so, it's a step above the usual. A work of originality with phenomenal acting and directing, Road To Perdition is one of the best gangster films of recent memory. A different change of pace that works well because the actors involved give splendid performances and Mendes has crafted his best film since American Beauty. I would definitely put Road To Perdition on my list of favorite gangster films. What we have here is a film that successfully breaks new ground in the gangster genre and it does it very well.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    January 14, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    The first half was boring and didn't grip me into the story. I didn't care about the characters. Yeah the acting was good but other the narrative just made me want to walk away. Towards the end after Paul Newman got shot was FANTASTIC. I really wish it had been like this from the... read more start. The way lighting, sound and colour was used after this point was brilliant. I really felt for the boy at the end.
  • 76Majikat
    March 10, 2010
    76Majikat
    Whilst this is a mobster movie set in older times, the true story focusses on the relationship between father & son and disloyalty in the ranks.

    I like Hanks in this role, he was really toned down to his usual loud and animated self, for a much more inward role.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Great modern gangster classic.
  • ythelastman89
    November 21, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Such an amazing movie and great adaption. The acting was perfect and the directing was precise and looked extremely polished. The visual style was beautiful, especially with no cgi aids. It is a classically told story about morality and revenge.
  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    Overall I was quite disappointed with this film, mainly due to being a big fan of the comic and the fact it was hyped up to be the best thing since sliced bread by most film review magazines.
  • jlewis07
    July 19, 2009
    jlewis07
    Well acted and beautifully made, but emotionally distant. I admired its craft, but I didn't really enjoy the movie very much.

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Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
August 8, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

While crisply edited and unindulgent, Mendes' work is gratifyingly old-school in its rejection of modern-day stylistic agitation, the better to achieve a slow but inexorable build to its climax. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
April 17, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Sam Mendes's 2002 follow-up to American Beauty finds him every bit as adept, arty, and Oscar hungry. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
July 25, 2002
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Pretentious, portentous and humorless. Full Review

Richard Roeper
July 15, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

[A] solid strong piece of work. Full Review

Peter Rainer
July 14, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

The pulp shows clearly through the high-art preening: It isn't prominent enough to be fun, and the art, with few exceptions, isn't high enough to justify all the moody-blues meaningfulness. Full Review

Desson Thomson
July 12, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Despite the surface attractions -- Conrad L. Hall's cinematography will likely be nominated for an Oscar next year -- there's something impressive and yet lacking about everything.

Stephen Hunter
July 12, 2002
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

All in all, Road to Perdition is more in love with strangeness than excellence.

Geoff Pevere
July 12, 2002
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

If you accept Road To Perdition on its own terms, as a kind of gangster opera that unfolds with a measured mythical grace, you quickly forgive the fact you're taking the road much travelled. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
July 12, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Directed by Sam Mendes, this movie might not be as flashy as his Oscar-winning American Beauty, but it's a smarter film, more mature and emotionally honest. Full Review

Joe Baltake
July 12, 2002
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

The film is quiet, threatening and unforgettable. Full Review

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    • Michael Sullivan: I saw then that my father's only fear was that his son would follow the same road. And that was the last time I ever held a gun. People always thought I grew up on a farm. And I guess, in a way, I did. But I lived a lifetime before that, in those six weeks on the road in the winter of 1931. When people ask me if Michael Sullivan was a good man, or if there was just no good in him at all, I always give the same answer. I just tell them... he was my father.
    • Peter Sullivan: Why are you always smiling?
    • Connor Rooney: 'Cause it's all so fucking hilarious.
    • Michael Sullivan Jr.: When people ask me if Michael Sullivan was a good man, or if there was just no good in him at all, I always give the same answer. I just tell them, he was my father.
    • Maguire: I shoot the dead. Dead bodies, that is. I don't kill them.
    • Michael Sullivan: Is that, uh... your profession or... your pleasure?
    • Maguire: Both, I guess. To be paid to do what you love... ain't that the dream?
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Road to Perdition Trivia

  • what film did we see tom hanks performing deadly deeds, whilst trying to be a good dad?  Answer »
  • Bonds of loyalty are put to the test when a hitman's son witnesses what his father does for a living....Stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan  Answer »
  • In what movie did Tom Hanks play a Irish gangster?  Answer »
  • Finish the title of this Tom Hanks film: "Road to ________"  Answer »
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