The Postman
A cynical drifter’s stolen postal identity becomes a rallying myth for rebuilding hope and resisting tyranny in a shattered America.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- earnest
- mythic
- sentimental
- post apocalyptic double feature
- 90s blockbuster night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, self-serious, sentimental, and misguided post apocalyptic parable despite its good-hearted intentions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The unnamed wanderer adopts a postman's uniform and identity, then becomes a symbol of restored government and social order.
The story moves through lawless wasteland settlements where horseback travel, local sheriffs, and armed factions replace modern institutions.
The drifter initially invents the postal service's return to obtain food, but townspeople transform his bluff into a movement against Bethlehem.
Undelivered letters, postal routes, and memories of the United States help communities imagine continuity with the lost world.
Films like The Postman, and why
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
shares post apocalyptic world-building, wandering protagonists, frontier communities, and a symbolic struggle against authoritarian power
Waterworld
shares dystopian survivalism, resistance against a militarized tyrant, and heightened action-adventure storytelling
A Boy and His Dog
shares hopeful reconstruction after societal collapse, community-building, and a mythic outsider protagonist
The Book of Eli
shares post apocalyptic adventure, violent factional conflict, and a drifter drawn into protecting a vulnerable settlement
Movie Details
- Director
- Kevin Costner
- Release Date
- 1997-12-25
- Runtime
- 178 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (1239)
Cast
- Kevin Costner
- Will Patton
- Larenz Tate
- Olivia Williams
- James Russo
- Daniel von Bargen
- Tom Petty
- Scott Bairstow
- Giovanni Ribisi
- Roberta Maxwell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- 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 The Postman about?
- A cynical drifter’s stolen postal identity becomes a rallying myth for rebuilding hope and resisting tyranny in a shattered America.
- What is The Postman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Postman as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Postman violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Postman as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Postman?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, self-serious, sentimental, and misguided post apocalyptic parable despite its good-hearted intentions.
- Which films are like The Postman?
- Films with a similar feel include Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Waterworld, A Boy and His Dog, and The Book of Eli.
- How long is The Postman?
- The Postman runs 178 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Postman?
- In United States, The Postman streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
