Thunder Road
| Release Date: October 12, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The PlaylistCory WoodroofOct 11, 2018
The film is all at once a genuine, crowd-pleasing barnstormer and an uncomfortably identifiable personal theme park 4D experience. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangOct 18, 2018
Cummings’ achievement is too singular to be reduced to a simple political reading; and in much the same way, Jim’s hard-won final scene is too ambiguous to be read as either celebration or damnation. If, by that point, there’s even any meaningful difference. Read full review
90
Rolling StoneDavid FearOct 11, 2018
It’s a matter of opinion whether Thunder Road is one of the best films of 2018, a distinction best left for listmakers and marketers. (Cue “It, Me” copping to the former.) But I can say it’s one of my favorites, the sort of experience where you walk out of a theater 90 minutes later and feel like something inside you has shifted two klicks to the left. Read full review
90
VarietyOwen GleibermanMar 16, 2018
At Thunder Road, you’ll giggle at moments, and you’ll also be moved, but mostly you’ll know the precise crazy-sane reality of who this man is. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnMar 16, 2018
While it remains a fascinating character study driven by Cummings’ striking delivery, it also falls back on conventional twists. The resulting drama showcases a remarkably strong vision in the confines of more familiar story beats, but it’s a testament to Cummings’ maniacal performance that he manages to keep us engaged. Read full review
80
CineVueZoe MargolisMay 30, 2019
A hugely accomplished debut, and an innovative approach to filmmaking, Cummings will be one to watch for sure. Read full review
80
EmpireAlex GodfreyMay 28, 2019
Dramatically, Thunder Road is a little thin, but the plot’s not the point: this is all about Cummings, who sparkles with charisma and confidence. It’s an unabashed indulgence. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeOct 1, 2018
Driven by Cummings' transfixingly vulnerable performance, the movie not only justifies returning to the source: Shockingly, it does so without even using the device that seemed key to the short's success. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenOct 10, 2018
Thunder Road has received oodles of festival awards, including the Grand Jury Award at SXSW. The film is a singular work. Even though it doesn’t always live up to the promise of its opening sequence, Thunder Road is an exhilarating ride. Read full review
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenJan 10, 2019
As a narrative, Thunder Road doesn’t entirely cohere—various plot strands involve Jim’s ex-wife, his daughter, and his partner on the force—yet Cummings remains riveting, never letting you get an easy fix on this troubled, troubling character. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoOct 12, 2018
He’s a fascinating cinematic creation and a pronouncement of a major talent in Jim Cummings, the star, writer, and director of the SXSW Grand Jury winner, Thunder Road. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyOct 11, 2018
Through a combination of caricature and psychological portrait, subtle touches and howls of impotent, uniformed rage, [Cummings’] film offers a memorable depiction of a man ill-equipped to deal with or direct his feelings—probably not all that different from the rest of us. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd May 14, 2018
One could argue that Thunder Road is more sympathetic than critical—which is to say, that it’s a movie that asks you to feel sorry for a white cop with serious women issues. If that’s an oversimplification, it’s because Cummings, who also wrote and directed the film, has delivered a remarkable tragicomic performance in the lead. Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn FinkMar 16, 2018
The film is wholly original taking on issues of the day from parental rights to mental illness and later, the opioid crisis. But while there is plenty of depth here, Thunder Road feels a little too much like it has been cobbled together from sketches and ideas for a one-man show. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeJun 2, 2019
What we have instead is a succession of variously successful vignettes, only some of which hit that sweet spot between horror and humour, as we watch Arnaud’s life collapse around him. Read full review
60
The GuardianCath ClarkeMay 29, 2019
Cummings presents us with a guy whose heart is in the right place – he just can’t control himself. But, like me, others may find their tolerance for a clueless white man’s anger issues has maxed out. Read full review
60
Film ThreatFilipe FreitasJan 27, 2019
Pelted with tragicomic scenes, Thunder Road, an acceptably funny slice of drama, depicts anxious times by carrying a furious tone and bitter pathos. However, not everything shines here. Read full review
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