Overview
A heartfelt exploration of a man's struggle to connect with his daughter amidst personal turmoil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- cringe
- melancholic
- intimate
- quiet evening
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's bruisingly intimate balance of emotionally affecting drama and uncomfortable comedy, especially Jim Cummings's distinctive central performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jim's funeral speech and repeated public outbursts turn humiliation into the film's primary comic and dramatic engine.
Jim's troubled relationship with his deceased mother shapes his determination to be a better father to Crystal.
Jim Cummings's performance as Jim is presented with unusually intimate focus, making his spiraling reactions difficult to escape.
Jim's police work, divorce, custody crisis, anger, and isolation embody a broader sense of dislocation in contemporary small-town America.
Films like Thunder Road, and why
The King of Comedy
shared cringe comedy, emotionally raw character study, and intimate portrait of a socially maladjusted protagonist
World's Greatest Dad
shared abrasive but vulnerable central character, family dysfunction, and uncomfortable dramatic comedy
The Skeleton Twins
shared offbeat American dramedy, grief, masculinity, and awkward attempts at emotional connection
The Meyerowitz Stories
shared intimate independent filmmaking, impulsive behavior, and painful father-child relationship dynamics
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Cummings
- Release Date
- 2018-09-12
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (466)
Cast
- Jim Cummings
- Kendal Farr
- Nican Robinson
- Jocelyn DeBoer
- Chelsea Edmundson
- Macon Blair
- Bill Wise
- Jordan Ray Fox
- Ammie Masterson
- Frank Mosley
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Thunder Road about?
- A volatile Texas police officer confronts grief, divorce, and his own emotional immaturity while fighting to remain present in his daughter's life.
- What is Thunder Road like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Thunder Road as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Thunder Road violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Thunder Road as mild.
- What did critics think of Thunder Road?
- Critics broadly praised the film's bruisingly intimate balance of emotionally affecting drama and uncomfortable comedy, especially Jim Cummings's distinctive central performance.
- Which films are like Thunder Road?
- Films with a similar feel include The King of Comedy, World's Greatest Dad, The Skeleton Twins, and The Meyerowitz Stories.
- How long is Thunder Road?
- Thunder Road runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Thunder Road?
- In United States, Thunder Road is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
