Stephen King isn’t just a prolific author whose novels have inspired countless screen adaptions, he’s also an active film enthusiast who doesn’t shy away from sharing his thoughts on some of the biggest releases, good and bad. From his vocal dislike of Kill Bill Vol. 1 to his high praise of The Autopsy of Jane Doe, King hasn’t held back on giving films his seal of approval or disapproval. Paramount+ subscribers now have the chance to stream one of those movies after the 16-year-old sci-fi thriller that King dubbed “painful to watch” in the best way possible started streaming in November.
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That movie is The Road, director John Hillcoat and writer Joe Penhall’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 novel of the same name. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic America and stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as a father and his son as they wander through the wasteland in search of a better life, attempting to avoid tribes of starving cannibals as they go. The devastating film joined Paramount+ on November 25th.
Why Did Stephen King Say The Road Is “Painful To Watch”?
If we had to sum up The Road in just two words, “emotional sledgehammer” would do the trick. The film is unflinching in its bleakness and grim portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world and a masterclass in powerful storytelling. Hillcoat and Penhall crafted a film that still manages to elicit a strong emotional reaction from viewers today as they watch a father’s desperate effort to protect his son and his innocence and humanity in a world where society has long collapsed, all set amid a barren, ash-covered wasteland.
The Road is regarded as one of the best and most realistic post-apocalyptic films of all time and was even described as “painful to watch” by King, not due to it being bad, but because of the sheer emotional weight the film burdens the viewer with.
“Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the apocalypse comes to the screen with all its spare and deadly beauty intact,” King wrote for Entertainment Weekly in his 2010 ranking of the best movies of 2009, which put The Road at No. 3. “It’s often painful to watch (at my screening I actually heard the projectionist sobbing as the film neared its end), but Viggo Mortensen’s performance as the dedicated father is Oscar bait.”
Many viewers seem to agree with King’s statement, with The Road’s critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes even stating that the film “may prove too unyielding for some.”
What’s New on Paramount+?
November has been a great month for streaming on Paramount+. Prior to the arrival of The Road on November 25th, the streamer started the month with a round of fresh arrivals that included 21 Jump Street, American Made, Catch Me If You Can, Cujo, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and most of the Indiana Jones franchise. Next month, the Paramount+ catalog will grow even further with Annihilation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Forrest Gump, and Inglourious Basterds, all of which are scheduled to arrive on December 1st.
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