Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- melancholic
- harrowing
- restrained
- historical drama night
- reflective evening
What critics said
Critics found the fact-based story and the quiet chemistry of its stars touching, while faulting its understated presentation and occasionally stodgy pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Eric's present-day life and relationship are intercut with his experiences as a prisoner forced to work on the Thai Burma railway.
Patti must decide whether Eric should confront Nagase, the Japanese officer associated with his torture and lifelong trauma.
Eric's wartime imprisonment and torture leave him isolated and haunted years after the war.
Eric's meeting and marriage with Patti gradually expose the wartime experiences he has kept shut away.
Films like The Railway Man, and why
The Deer Hunter
shared fact-based wartime trauma, restrained drama, and moral confrontation with an unresolved legacy of violence
The Best Years of Our Lives
shared World War II aftermath, survivor guilt, repressed memory, and emotionally serious reconciliation
In the Land of Blood and Honey
shared historical drama about wartime atrocity, trauma, and the difficult pursuit of forgiveness
Shine
shared biographical drama structure, psychological trauma, and performances centered on painful emotional recovery
Movie Details
- Director
- Jonathan Teplitzky
- Release Date
- 2013-12-02
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (798)
Cast
- Colin Firth
- Nicole Kidman
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Jeremy Irvine
- Hiroyuki Sanada
- Tanroh Ishida
- Michael MacKenzie
- Jeffrey Daunton
- Tom Stokes
- Bryan Probets
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, 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 Railway Man about?
- A traumatized railway survivor and his determined wife confront the wartime past that has governed their marriage and his sense of self.
- What is The Railway Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Railway Man as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Railway Man violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Railway Man as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Railway Man?
- Critics found the fact-based story and the quiet chemistry of its stars touching, while faulting its understated presentation and occasionally stodgy pacing.
- Which films are like The Railway Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Deer Hunter, The Best Years of Our Lives, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and Shine.
- How long is The Railway Man?
- The Railway Man runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Railway Man?
- In United States, The Railway Man streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
