Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Road'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I think what I enjoy most about film, is the fact that it truly provides us with a little slice of human life. We are treated to those private moments of struggle we have personally been through or movies help us ponder upon what life would be like if by chance we were faced with harrowing adversity.  

Other times we are treated to the fantastic, pushed to the boundaries of our imagination in ways we never knew possible. Film is equally as awesome an escape as literature, and at times it can be terrifying. For while there are stories that inspire and stun us with their majesty, there are other tales out there that push our fears to the limit...case in point, The Road. 

Something catastrophic has happened to planet Earth. The skies are grey, fires burn everywhere and much of the world's rich vegetation and animal life has all but disappeared. Humans still survive, but even then, our numbers are dwindling. Within the devastated void of what was once the United States of America, a man and his son carry on. They stay alive because survival is all they have left and because they believe that when they reach the coast they may find some semblance of a better life.  But their journey is filled with danger, not because of the world dying around them...but because of the handful of humans they share this wasteland with.  

---

​To call this film dark, would be an understatement. This is just...a powerful and depressing film. Let me get this all out of the way now. This is a film without hope, without joy and one that quite frankly leaves you feeling ill when the end credits crawl up the screen. With that being said...this film is also completely and utterly brilliant. It's simplicity, all while being incredibly bold will leave your eyes glued to the screen for the entire film. 

Now I say bold because this is the first post apocalypse film I have ever seen that gives us some realistic answers about issues that seem to be easily solved in other films in the genre. The finite nature of supplies, such as food or water is addressed as well as perhaps the most terrifying aspect of all...what man really becomes when faced without a future. The Road really holds nothing back, in fact the scene where the Man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and his Son find what a household of people have been eating to stay alive is just terrifying. I won't spoil what they find, because it needs to be seen.

What also separates this motion picture from the rest in the end of the world genre, is that nothing is explained. There is no meteor that we know of, no revolution or nuclear war or zombies roaming the countryside. The world simply ends. But it also fulfills everything I spoke of earlier. This is a slice of life, an awful one but one filled with some surprising beauty as a father does his best to provide for his son. If you haven't seen this film, you need to and as soon as possible. It truly is brilliant and while it is an uncomfortable experience from the get go, it's worth it simply because The Road is a visceral experience, one that quite frankly makes you appreciate everything you have in your life.  

---