This Must Be the Place
A retired goth-rock icon crosses America to confront his estranged father’s Nazi persecutor, discovering that revenge cannot be separated from grief and renewal.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- surreal
- deadpan
- reflective evening
- road movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually striking and emotionally distinctive, with Sean Penn's performance and Paolo Sorrentino's scenic direction offsetting an overextended series of detours.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cheyenne crosses the American heartland while his pursuit of a Nazi war criminal gradually becomes a journey of reconciliation and self-discovery.
The film combines surrealism with scenic images of American towns, highways, and landscapes during Cheyenne's cross-country quest.
Cheyenne's estrangement from his father is redefined by learning about his father's humiliation in Auschwitz.
Cheyenne tracks Aloise Lange to avenge his father while confronting whether redemption or revenge truly motivates him.
Films like This Must Be the Place, and why
Paris, Texas
shares a melancholic, eccentric road movie structure centered on grief, estrangement, and self-discovery
The Straight Story
shares surrealist imagery, tragicomic detours, and a damaged protagonist pursuing emotional reconciliation
Being There
shares a stylized, darkly comic character study of an outsider confronting the past and personal identity
A Serious Man
shares a music-inflected tragicomedy, emotionally guarded protagonist, and themes of aging and reconciliation
Movie Details
- Director
- Paolo Sorrentino
- Release Date
- 2011-08-24
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1331)
Cast
- Sean Penn
- Olwen Fouéré
- Eve Hewson
- Johnny Ward
- Sam Keeley
- Danielle O'Brien
- Margaret O'Reilly
- Frances McDormand
- Mairin O'Donovan
- Simon Delaney
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is This Must Be the Place about?
- A retired goth-rock icon crosses America to confront his estranged father’s Nazi persecutor, discovering that revenge cannot be separated from grief and renewal.
- What is This Must Be the Place like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of This Must Be the Place as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is This Must Be the Place violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in This Must Be the Place as mild.
- What did critics think of This Must Be the Place?
- Critics broadly found the film visually striking and emotionally distinctive, with Sean Penn's performance and Paolo Sorrentino's scenic direction offsetting an overextended series of detours.
- Which films are like This Must Be the Place?
- Films with a similar feel include Paris, Texas, The Straight Story, Being There, and A Serious Man.
- How long is This Must Be the Place?
- This Must Be the Place runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch This Must Be the Place?
- In United States, This Must Be the Place streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
