The Road: Review By MutantFairy

It's years after the apocalypse. It's not clear, 10 years, maybe more. We don't know what happened & it doesn't matter. All that matters is that there is no food left & most of the animals are dead. The earth is a grey decaying place. It was a brilliant decision to have it filmed on location with actual abandoned & dilapidated cities, buildings & highways (they even filmed on MT. St. Helen's) using real locations that have been devastated. It was genius because there was barely any CGI during the movie.

Somehow a father & his son survive & they decide to head south to the coast. His son is born after the apocalypse so he knows nothing about civilization. It's a great film because the father is teaching his son about humanity & about survival but we see that these two things are often at cross-purposes. Many times they have to allow something awful to happen in order to survive. The movie is mesmerizing and while they don't show the atrocities that take place after the fall of civilization, they mention them which is almost more disturbing. The father covers his son's ears at one point but we hear what is happening. I liked that as their journey continues the son ends up having to remind the father of his humanity. Even though he's still a young boy (he plays with a Wetworks action figure & has crayons) he is mature enough to not only recognize when his father might indulge in self-pity but advises against it.

This intense film will probably resonate more with men & with parents. It's ultimately about family & fatherhood. The man is a father in the most basic & primal way. I loved that despite all the hardships they endure he still has tender moments with his son, things we take for granted now, like having a meal or even grooming. His son is his only reason for living & he is preparing his son for the day when he won't be around. The father will do anything for his son even going against his own survival instincts in order to follow through on the lessons he taught his son. He also does everything in his power to protect his son as he tells him "I will kill anyone who touches you. Because that's my job." He is the father we all aspire to be.