The Road - Ending Scene (Full HD)

'If only my heart were stone.'

[@Etigress]

The fact that they have a dog and didn't kill him for food, that says it all. They wouldn't even eat their own pet to survive. They're good

[@seraphik]

totally agree.

[@americangangsterlock1550]

One of the biggest lies Hollywood has been telling us Westerner's. In a fallout or similar scene to this movie, I cab promise the average family man will eventually kill their pets to feed their kids and spouses. Go back in time during any crisis and you will see people would devour a pet like a dog or cat. It's complete bullshit to test a man's dignity by feeding them a pet dog. People who argue with that way of thinking rather rescue dogs than kids locked away in cages.

[@chrisgreig98]

That's not necessarily true. If I was in that world and it was just me and my dog, and I had to choose between killing it or a person, I'd eat a human before ever considering causing any kind of harm to my dog... Does that make me a good person? Perhaps in terms of caring for animals, but I'd still kill a human to eat if there was no food around. Why kill man's best friend, when we could both eat and keep each other company for at least another day?

[@tu4i775]

@@chrisgreig98 easy to say Hard to do Especially knowing the morality between killing an animal dubbed as family vs a human like you

[@derangedcrouton1864]

@@chrisgreig98 do you think survival cares whats good or bad?? Good and bad is a stupid moral system society created to attempt to distance humans from animals when in nature none of us are good or evil, we do good and evil things but we cant be either. We are animals and we do what our brains tell us to.

[@willowandluka5302]

“How do I know you’re one of the good guys?” “You don’t, you just have to take a shot.” Sounds like something a good guy would say.

[@alexhansen8937]

Cole Lutz shit you right

[@sdemory]

Squatting down so he's at eye level and less of a threat, letting The Boy keep his gun, giving him a choice and good advice if he chooses differently... definitely one of the good guys.

[@XxWatulookinat69xX]

Or someone who is the bad guy but trying to sound like a good guy.

[@hazaltiger5601]

Or a sociopath :D

[@Robkinggozer]

Sounds also like what Charles Manson could say.

[@hollywoodshopaholic]

The boy saying his final goodbye to the father completely breaks my heart.

[@PatTheRiot]

He rejoined him later that night. Sadly the other father didn't want to waste a bullet so they had to use that leatherman pocket knife and it was dull.

[@Wynaut22]

@@PatTheRiot is that from the book?

[@burnttoaster6313]

Dustin Royer no hahahaha

[@Wynaut22]

@@burnttoaster6313 good lol i looked it up and didnt see anything similar to that. im glad. its sad enough as is. thank you

[@IncogNito-gg6uh]

I set the book down and just bawled.

[@publiusventidiusbassus1232]

Ironic how McCarthy's darkest story has the brightest ending. In the end, despite all the horrors, there will always be those carrying the fire.

[@eldredjonas8012]

beautifully said

[@publiusventidiusbassus1232]

​@@Lee-jg1vdI get what you're saying, but while Blood Meridian is far more graphic and bleak, I feel The Road is darker simply because its not just a tale of a wild frontier, but of humanity's twilight.

[@elyastoohey6621]

Or they aren't... For all we know he just represents an option for them. If times get lean they have a walking pile of meat close by.

[@phatlewt2932]

yes, carrying the fire for a human pitroast. That kid is fxcked

[@3PercentNeanderhal]

​@@publiusventidiusbassus1232or humanity's last few sparks before the light goes out forever.

[@aransahebi7162]

This has to be the scariest movie I've ever seen. Horror movies are typically portrayed as having demons, ghosts, monsters, but nothing's more scarier than what a human is willing to do.

[@Juggernogger64]

Oh then you'll definitely develop more trauma after you Watch "COME AND SEE" a ww2 film

[@MrBastilleDay]

I know. But how about what the humans at the end of the movie are willing to do for the boy?

[@deoxy8889]

@@Juggernogger64 Come and See was fucked up, an amazing war film but man was it brutal

[@TANQ31]

Because the biggest threat to humanity is humanity. Deep down we all know it to be true. which is why we make up and exacerbate external threats.

[@MrBastilleDay]

@@TANQ31 I would like to argue this point, but I find I cannot.

[@MrSharpie28]

The ending isn't meant to be a debate about whether they were good or not. It's a question of trust and maturity, and a further symbolism of fatherhood. All a father can do is raise his son properly and allow him to venture into the outside world. But the outside world is scary, full of questionable people and mistrust. All a father can do is raise his boy, release him into the world, and hope that he makes the right choices and follows the right people. The ending, therefore, isn't about whether they were good or bad, but simply about the act of release. We hope for the best for our children, but the truth is, we are always scared for them. We just have to hope they make the right decisions.

[@drewjenkins2318]

And he decided to be food.

[@cell1385]

very bad trolling, Drew...

[@quentinmoon8722]

Drew Jenkins lol and they'd been following him and his Father....I would think if they were good people they would have helped them both not have waited for the Dad to die so that they could take the boy.... Then again I guess the ending to this movie is a little open to interpretation.

[@CurseTheCosmos]

This is a complete and correct analysis of the story. It was how Cormac McCarthy wrote it and how he intended it to be. All the way down to the dedication of the novel; his son.

[@svenfigueroa312]

real85er but no freaking thumb to tolerate that shotgun’s recoil! Hahaaa

[@marcoadan1]

"Yeah, I'm carrying the fire." The way he delivered that line with absolute certainty gets me every time. Such a simple but powerful moment.

[@Karben22]

Anyone else notice the color changing after the boy met the family? Went from dull and grey to actual color?

[@ihy_btw3597]

Yes i did, cool🌅

[@Anarchist86ed]

That, and the sun is obviously shining on them. This was filmed when it was just hitting spring time and had to fight to keep the sunshine and green foliage out of shots. Didn't always work out. You can see sunshine in quite a few scenes.

[@guts7958]

it could mean life is returning, man I wish I they'd make a sequel to the road, maybe a tv show, then that would go off the book, idk there is still a story to be told,my opinion lol

[@Anarchist86ed]

@@guts7958 In the book the boy grew up, he and the woman were very close. Which means they found a way to survive long term.

[@guts7958]

@@Anarchist86ed so they need a sequel, and life probably did return,man I need to read books lol

[@logicaldude3611]

I love how the son covers up the father, as if it’s just this innate thing in decent humanity to cover up or bury people who die. And the son becomes the father, now it’s up to him and him alone. He carries the revolver and asks others if they have the fire, just like his father taught him that the good people have the fire. The guy on the beach understands this and says he does have the fire. It’s somehow uplifting.

[@RifleEyez]

Yeah I like how in the book The Boy starts to become "aware" at the end. Like, he starts out naive and almost like a clueless burden, with The Man thinking he was keeping everything from him, with only snippets from time to time showing how The Boy was more concerned about the situation than he let on. But near the end it's revealed The Boy is more switched on than he appears, worrying about The Man and his health - he was listening to how he breathes and knowing The Man was trying to hide how bad his cough was getting - just as much as The Man worried about him. The Boy even makes that pretty intricate shelter right at the end thinking it was going to rain, because he notices the smell of ash on the wind, anticipating it raining like The Man taught him. I thought that development was really cool.

[@metafication]

When my father died I was kinda at a loss for what to do and his best friend stepped in and pulled a sheet over to cover him. I couldn't think to do that at the time but it was a big help for such a small thing.

[@ThriftTheatre]

There's evidence that pre-modern hominins, such as neanderthals, buried their dead. We have been creatures of ceremony for tens of thousands of years.

[@robotraptor3369]

I just rewatched this film for about the 5th time and only just clicked that the dog they hear when theyre in the bunker is the same dog at the end of the film. Plus the rain on the water and the beetle on the boardwalk are signs of the fertility coming back to the land. If they had not run then they all could have survived at the bunker house :(

[@fluffydumpling4590]

They didn't because they felt as if they didn't deserve the bunker, along with their fear of it being found. I recently read this in my AP English Lit class and loved it. The father also inhaled too much ash and dust so that's why he never had his mask on like the boy. It wasn't worth it anymore.

[@yevonsama]

don't worry. That family follow them. So if the bunker still have any food left, they would collected them already.

[@fluffydumpling4590]

yevon sama We never talked about the family at the end following them.. why did they follow them..?

[@AB0VETHALAW]

@@fluffydumpling4590 because of the boy, children are rare

[@fluffydumpling4590]

billy billy So did they eat the child like all these people are "claiming" based off of their mind orrrrrrrrr is it for reproduction purposes?

[@alexanderadams9008]

I love how they zoomed on the guy’s hand and you saw he was missing a thumb, details like that that just tell a story by just showing us something, your mind starts creating these scenarios to try and explain why he lost a thumb, great filmmaking

[@coversquirrel3218]

In the book he had a smashed in face and a messed up eye and scared cheeks. He was described as a "verteran of past battles" or something like that. Considering that the weapon of necessity then was a heavy blunt object and he is still alive and stil has a family to protect I'd say the book made a better case. Also in the book the person they caught stealing from them had the finers cut off of thier right hand, a outcast from one of the communes that must still exist if they can afford to toss people out and not canabalize them.

[@howardjones6432]

Funny you said "guy" cause that's Guy Pearce!! Haaa!(Alf laugh)

[@chase8649]

I haven't seen anyone mention self cannibalism, the guy who stole their wagon had nubs for fingers.

[@starwarsroo2448]

We call thatt in filmmaking " the rule of thumb "

[@delanorrosey4730]

@@coversquirrel3218 But the finger was cut off his left hand. What does that mean, that the cannibals tried to eat him but he eacaped?

[@lilweedsea]

They didn’t eat him, they have genuine glimmers of humanity in their eyes. Humanity isn’t as bad as people think and morals can still be taught.

[@svenfigueroa312]

That boy went the KFC way. He dead. 🤣🤣

[@velveetaslingshot]

"Humanity isnt as bad as people think".... unfortunately, its way worse than people think. Pick up a history book if you want to see true horror.

[@Seroxm13]

Humanity is way worse than we think and that the media and goverment has made us believe... it's truly worse.

[@velveetaslingshot]

@@Seroxm13 I feel like the world is about to find out...

[@bustyblackboy2029]

@@velveetaslingshot it's funny how you call us evil but live amongst us and us our technology. Fucking punk.😂

[@jamesbarker9895]

My father died two days before I turned 13 after a long, miserable fight with cancer. How horrible it must have been to leave his work as a father and husband unfinished, not knowing that we made it to adulthood or were healthy and happy. I can only hope my kids all make it to adulthood before I leave them

[@alostpilgrimsjourney5953]

My prayers are with you.

[@reddvsbluee22]

I found the book just before or right after my father died when I was around twenty. I can't remember, as it's been just over ten years now. I just watched this film last night with my girlfriend and haven't cried that hard in quite a while. Health and happiness to you and your family. I'm sure your father is proud of you.

[@greyhound4807]

Can relate to that Sir.

[@USAads2023]

Same

[@MrGertus12]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your father is proud of you. You've made his fatherhood a success by making a life for yourself. He lives on inside you as you are his legacy.

[@spidersquasher7645]

Guy Pearce is amazing here. He walks an amazing balance between fearful and trust worthy.

[@gregc1331]

He’s fine, but they added him to load the marquis with A-listers. Loved him in The Proposition.

[@PatTheRiot]

He plays a trustworthy cannibal

[@MattMonk]

He's another mouth to feed but this is clearly a very successful survivor group given the presence of children and a dog. He gets numbers and they get some genetic diversity in their group and an eventually reliable cohort. Everybody wins.

[@allykayyy2683]

The presence of children (and I suppose the dog), to me, was a symbol of trustworthiness. It's funny to see people arguing on the comments because when I first watched this it never once crossed my mind that they were going to eat the kid. If they wanted to do that, they couldve taken him and papa both, anytime they wanted, lol. That's just pessimistic, they didn't eat the kid 😂

[@alexlloyd4]

@@allykayyy2683 I saw it the same way. If they were desperate enough to eat the kid, they'd have eaten the dog by now.

[@Anarchist86ed]

@@alexlloyd4 In the ending of the book, it implies the boy grew up. Which means they not only survived, but found a way to continue on.

[@nicole9volt]

Ally Kayyy exactly... the long shot of the dog and the kid looking at the dog symbolized that to me. “Well if they haven’t ate the dog yet, then they certainly won’t eat people”

[@Robkinggozer]

@@nicole9volt They might be good in the sense that they don't eat people or their dog (yet), but in this world, basically everyone has been severely traumatized and damaged. Who knows how that will effect their behavior. But either way, from where he was at, it's like he won the jackpot. And I think it was the right choice to end on a note of hope. We need to believe that it can pay off, bittersweet as it may be.

[@Lv20Bard]

In my eyes, the takeaway from the story is that despite how bleak things may get or how much humanity might have deserved the apocalypse, even just one human connection can be enough to make that all worth it. Hang in there people.

[@xx1willis1xx]

Id say this was one of the most immersive films ive seen and very heartfelt. One of my favorite post-apocalyptic films.

[@octobias6705]

W Bush go watch a guys video called weaponsandstuff93 were he explains survival fails in this movie

[@Lokislav]

you cannot always conform to everything when you write a fiction, Donnie, for the sake of the story there are things that should be purposefully/unintentionally left out

[@octobias6705]

No but mistakes like trees catching on fire when it just rained

[@Lokislav]

oh, really scandalous!

[@jillwhite544]

It is the best because this could actually become our reality someday. It is the most realistic post apocalyptic world

[@noseefood1943]

probably the only surviving dog in the world.

[@truthspeaks1265]

Noseefood well it better start humping itself to repopulate XD

[@robotraptor3369]

Meaning the dog they heard at the bunker was just the family :(

[@Anarchist86ed]

Well, it's kind of implied in the book that the boy and the family live on and eventually may even find a way to start again. Even lighting in this movie was a message, at the end you can clearly see sunshine on the boy and woman to imply goodness and a future. Odds are it was the last dog, at least in America. It's never said how the rest of the world was doing.

[@whichDude]

Pretty sure China killed all theirs during the first week.

[@dexterguth5459]

I wonder if these people were the ones making those sounds outside the safehouse ?

[@MrKajithecat]

They didn't eat him, otherwise that dog would of been gone and those kids too. Extreme hunger will make you eat your left foot if that's what you have.

[@8bitgamer85]

I didn't watch the movie but I did read the book. The intention of the Veteran and his wife of adopting the boy was to make him a companion or a mate to their daughter as they try to rebuild the world when it becomes normal again.

[@postmodernerkindergartner960]

But why the missing thumb tho?

[@virginiagreen3704]

They may have reformed.

[@8bitgamer85]

In the book, there are locked sheltered survival agrarian communities like the ones in The Walking Dead - Alexandria Safe Zone, The Prison, The Kingdom, Sanctuary, Wellington in Ohio etc. These survivalist communities in the book have a simple rule, if you steal you lose a finger and are cast out of the community like the thief who tried to steal from the father and son's shopping cart.

[@mattheww797]

They were watching the kid cause they wanted to eat him.

[@dominiclabriola9458]

"Yeah.. I carry the fire.".. He understood.

[@SwiftyEmpire]

Humanity

[@dominikkaciniel1870]

Yes

[@PatTheRiot]

Nope he's just playing the yes man, he has no fucking idea what the kiddo is talking about he's just trying to befriend him to get the gun and then the mom is going to roast him for the kids and the dog. He's missing a thumb like many other cannibals in the movie (probably eaten out of hunger before turning) and the mom seems way too fucking happy to have another "mouth to feed" in a world of famine. They are about to eat him and that's why the glitters. That's why they have been tracking the dying father for days like a pack of wolves. Wake up people :) A world of famine and cannibals and you don't eat your dog? LOLS YA OK ILL SKIP DINNER WITH THE NICE SURVIVALIST FAMILY WITH WELL FED DOG LLOL

[@distone2480]

PatTheRiot wtf

[@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95]

@@PatTheRiot what the literal fuck are you on about? The author and director both confirmed the man is kind and welcoming of the boy. He isn't planning on eating him...

[@jordan31176]

3:02 That guys facial expression was the only comedic moment in this film. He was like "oh shit what did I just say"

[@blotterdowney8075]

lol i didn't catch that

[@boogieman323]

Lmfao

[@justinbrown2674]

Thought I was the only one who noticed😂😂

[@jnetwork3232]

@Netloc AD hahahah

[@DeltaDanner]

“Should not have said ‘shot’ when I have a gun pointed at me”

[@chainsawkitten3766]

Such a bleak, depressing movie. Made me feel some hope for the future when I saw the dog at the end. You just knew then that it would all work out.

[@puterboy2]

Talk about a happy ending.

[@stevepalpatine2828]

You know they ate the kid, right? Should've listened to his Dad.

[@stevepalpatine2828]

@The Sneed & Feed They guy had missing thumbs, which was a penalty for cannibalism. They had been stalking the Man and Boy for days, waiting for the boy to be alone, and, in a world with no resources they seemed rather too happy to have another mouth to feed. They ate the kid. He should have listened to his dad, and got the guy to strip off and took his stuff

[@stevepalpatine2828]

@The Sneed & Feed You could be right dude. It's just nothing we saw up to that point indicated any hope or positives to that story, it's the bleakest thing I ever read. Maybe I was just feeling so nihilistic by that point I misinterpreted it, but personally, if I was the kid I wouldn't have taken any chances.

[@windigo44]

@The Sneed & Feed - thumbs are not as useful (no hitch-hiking in the post-apocalypse) so they end up in the Sunday stew if you pull the short straw.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

It's a hard feeling to describe: seeing someone you love lie dead and cold. I can't think of any enemies I'd wish it on.

[@brandonmcduff]

Yeah. It's a very hard feeling indeed.

[@wolvmarine313]

Then you lack enemies.

[@Muskrat123]

Death is inevitable for all things alive. I am glad I saw my father die in the hospital in front of me, not that I had an ounce of hatred for him, but moreso I was glad I was there for him, and to honor his body after his spirit passed. More than anything it brought me closure. Death is not something shocking or unnatural. On the contrary it’s the most certain, natural event in life.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

@@Muskrat123I respect that. I, personally, am grateful that I got to be there as my mother went from live to dead.

[@Muskrat123]

On that note, I am personally very grateful that not an hour after I made a reply to a four-year old comment, you replied with your own sincere experience on the subject with a view that we can both share. I think that’s truly wonderful, thank you very much for sharing. :)

[@kuanyshkairbekov4163]

This scene should have win an Oscar. Such a great moment. Full break and dark at the same moment warm seconds with his new family.

[@shmodayoda7836]

The Oscars are a bunch of bull

[@colemanwalsh7477]

the oscars are ridged and shit fuck hollywood but i understand what you mean. damn i understand you dont know who i am as a person but uck to bring atleast a small tear to my eyes this movie is underrated

[@apineappleaday1199]

i know im super late but in the end credits of the movie, it gives the true ending. listen to the audio played in the end credits after the music. you hear the dog, birds, crickets, laughter, & conversation, along with water. so the true ending is that they found a safe haven or something of that sort. i’ve looked everywhere on the internet to see if anyone has made the same observation as i have, and no luck. so the ending isn’t “hopeful” or “they ate him”. the ending was truly a happy ending.

[@YungBeezer]

Well the dog and the rain and the bugs are all supposed to be signs that life is returning to the world.

[@MHiggins]

@@YungBeezer Exactly. Life was returning to the earth after humanity nearly went extinct. The return of the animals means life is coming back.

[@WcHDICE]

In my theory I think the family will keep him alive as possible so their kids can have a friend and their daughter will have a future mate if the sky is clear, or if things not going well for the boy they will amputated his body parts if he gets affected and eat it if he's not be being careful

[@IdeaSeeker]

I thought the noises and voices were just throwbacks to the world before the apocalypse... as there are quite few of them throughout the movie

[@barrysmith1341]

The last 6 minutes of an entire depressing post apocalypse movie gives humanity hope.

[@2v_5r84]

How could that family survive with a dog without eating people

[@NotSoRandom_]

Reminiscent of Children of Men

[@seraphik]

molly parker is such an underrated actor. her gentleness and warmth shines through the few lines she had and changes the entire feel of the ending. if she and the dog weren't there, you'd feel a lot worse about the boy's chances with the stranger.

[@starwarsroo2448]

Yes even the mutt looked pretty trustworthy

[@fabiancalderon6729]

Milf material

[@Dewitt-b8n]

Said basically the same thing to my dad when he passed. He taught me all the good I know from a silver star winner and 25 year narcotics officer. Never let the bad in the world bring you down . Take that to my grave

[@thomasgladwin2975]

Your daddy was a dirty pig and so are you

[@Giggles_iJest]

As soon as I saw the doggo, I was relieved. Dogs tend to willfully follow those with good hearts.

[@MaxPower3532]

lmao

[@123Jim91]

​@@MaxPower3532What OP said may not be true, but at least the family is not Muslim.

[@17ardnaglug]

Easily the most underrated movies of all time.

[@skdjirrrdjdm3926]

The Assassination of Jessie James is another masterpiece that flew under a lot of people's radars.

[@rainsandblackbirds4089]

This is the only movie that has really gotten under my skin. Saw it first time like six years ago and haven't been able to watch it since, it was so heartbreaking. I still think about it often. What a great movie and lovely ending.

[@KP-vr6ft]

Imagine how harsh of an ending it would've been, if the family didn't come along. It was just the boy gathering his things and walking into oblivion.

[@elmerson6670]

This freaking movie killed a huge portion of my heart.

[@Dewitt-b8n]

It filled my heart with joy. The boys father brought him to the coast. Water, where life began. His new family the fruits of the boys father protection. He is the word of God

[@oxyiscool]

Read the book, it will kill whatever is left..... Remember, it's a love story. The love between a parent and child is the theme...

[@reecewithoutherspoon1324]

The ending is suppose to symbolize hope, in case any of you didn't get it. The cold might completely overtake the planet and everyone freezes to death. I mean, seriously, it's even possible that the family at the end are cannibals (although unlikely). But the one thing we do know for sure, is that boy alone would never survive alone. Now that he has, even a slither of a chance left, he has hope, and that is the point of this ending. Hope. (that's also the meaning of 'carrying the fire') Live by this message

[@_jamieee_]

I just finished watching and im still bawling my eyes out 😭😭😭😭😭

[@PhantomfaceStudios]

This family is what everyone in Missouri looks like

[@williampoole1742]

Well if everyone in Missouri acts like them, I think I wanna move there

[@alexander1902]

Missouri, Where everything is relative.

[@jrmetmoi]

@@alexander1902 inbreeding

[@wastedvaultwastelander1792]

I almost hear missery in the name... coincidence?

[@sadmoose6449]

As someone from Missouri, I can absolutely confirm.

[@carolinafine8050]

This scene has to be in the proper context. The son consistently showed unconditional love and concern for people. And the others, aside from his father, rarely showed it back. He gives the food to the old man who admits that he would never have done so himself for the little boy. But the boy still had concern for that old man. He even admonished his dad when the dad was talking disparagingly of the old man. The boy’s own mother abandoned him. Choosing her death over her concern for him. But now, this mother expresses love for him. She went as far as following the boy and his dad because she wanted to know that he would be safe.

[@peterah7957]

His father did everything he could to protect his son! Amore! Good people of the world unite! Especially in these times ❤️

[@adityasharma9625]

I cried after every 10 min . this man put in his everything for his child and wife

[@ahoffman8285]

The ending of the book was a little more subdued but did give that same glimmer of hope after a long depressing slog. This movie was an absolute masterpiece totally overlooked and unappreciated.

[@CTRL_F]

For anyone unsure: We can lay to rest that this is a HAPPY ENDING (as much as is possible). [TL/DR: Please read the book by Cormac McCarthy] If you’ve read the book (absolutely beautiful in language) there is a specific line Cormac McCarthy wrote to prove The Veteran (Guy Pearce’s character) was good. Early in the story, it mentions that the boy’s Father “looked up into the sky, as if there was anything to see” This specific wording is meant to be referencing the Boy’s perspective and his yet lacking wisdom about being on the lookout. The boy, while he certainly is learning, sees things only as they come, and as they are. He doesn’t yet have that watchfulness of the Father, being still in need of protection. At the very end on the beach, The Veteran (you actually see both him and the Father do it in the movie too - cool little reference) also looks into the distance - and Cormac repeats the same line as a perfect bookend, verbatim, “…as if there was anything to see”. After everything I read that the boy and his father went through, that line alone brought me to tears. The last lines also depict distant hope in their prose. FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS ENDING!!!

[@james87367]

What a beautiful comment.

[@maxbean3095]

I watched this film years ago with my newborn son on my lap and cried intensely (I found it surprising how much )at this scene. I think it was the feeling of imagining having to leave your child alone in a world like this when you die. Never watched it since and just watched this end scene and still gets me emotionally. Incredible movie

[@skdjirrrdjdm3926]

The first time I watched this movie was also with my days-old newborn in my arms at like 5am and I went into this movie blind not knowing a single thing about it. WOW is all I could say afterwards. Blew me away.

[@tamitodpao]

It happened to me exactly the same. I can watch movies many times. But this one for an odd reason I can't, or maybe I won't, cause I am truly scared this can come true.

[@colwilliamnoydb4134]

I buried both of my parents a few years ago. Dad first, mom 14 months later. That child reaching down and talking to his father and kissing him broke me.

[@adityasharma9625]

THAT SCENE BROKE EVERYONE MATE, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A HUG MAN. I JUST HOPE YOU READ THIS

[@adamzanzie]

Rest in Peace, Cormac McCarthy.

[@AJR-zg2py]

To this day, this is the one film that made my ex cry the hardest - we're talking full-on ugly crying with mascara lines down her face. This movie is so depressing but so good.

[@Spacemonkeymojo]

LMAO

[@colemanwalsh7477]

ahh what shes your ex why care heh maybe its just me but i ain"t no cuck

[@nessiebwur]

The book was powerful too and the movie was definitely true to the story

[@adrianignat2339]

That dog made it even more emotional.

[@scarfo8556]

the beauty of this film is that it is left intentionally ambiguous, the thumbs may suggest they are cannibals who have been waiting till his father died to easily sway the boy much like how they kept the dog alive in order to track potential people to eat. or it may alternatively symbolise hope for survival like in the book. ultimately, you choose how it ends.

[@PHATB0Y20]

I always found ambiguous endings super lazy writing

[@dadaeeaeeadada3301]

@@PHATB0Y20 a done right ambiguous is very well writing, but for me, it quite frustrated to think what actually happened

[@YungBeezer]

It’s not ambiguous at all. Especially if you read the book, which mention the boy trying to talk to his father through prayer and the woman talking to him about religion.

[@PatTheRiot]

Well the whole movie is about a father teaching his kid to survive before dying. He dies and some weird ass following family pops out. Boy fails to remember his training and doesn't get the thumbless freak butt naked on the beach to leave him and warm him to stop following or die. He failed. But its ok too. From his perception theres finally hope and he feels better. But those glitter eyes from the mom, aouch, she's hungry.

[@doobas2171]

What about their thumbs?

[@leetrendyme9927]

When the boy said “do you have the fire” that broke me tears were flowing my face so fast

[@YPAReviews]

Make your own ending. You’re the storyteller now. That’s the beauty of open interpretation.

[@anotherbigfootwithinternet2147]

They all die.

[@jackk.358]

@@anotherbigfootwithinternet2147 read the book…

[@starwarsroo2448]

Cannibals caught up with them in the next scene, it was ugly

[@hysh9483]

You guys are lame

[@benjjackson5730]

@@starwarsroo2448why you making shit up? 😂

[@gagemead27]

Lo' there, do I see my Mother. Lo' there, do I see my Father. Lo' there, do they call to me.

[@kinhamid9665]

Two modern works of art, of the highest caliber

[@nicolasagustinmorales1174]

Stfu

[@gagemead27]

@@nicolasagustinmorales1174 Off yourself, kid. No one would mourn for you.

[@kevinking1750]

In the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.

[@puterboy2]

“This motion picture is not a documentary, but it could be...” -Cornel Wilde.

[@rickybress]

You can clearly see that Naughty dog took inspire from this movie, especially the ending line: Ellie an the boy say okay and the shot is the same ;)

[@dirtydan1889]

Yeah man the last of us was a masterpiece and I'm not a sony fanboy just cuz I like a game that they happen to make Well Naughty dog made it....look you get it you get what I'm saying

[@anubhavsaluja1995]

The last of us ,the real last of us part 1 was much much less depressing than the road It had enough light, Ellie was funny,and so was Bill . Sam and Ellie enjoying and Ellie and Riley enjoying in the left behind and so many more things gave positivity in a dark world On some level had some inspiration but deviated significantly

[@colinloh6427]

The boy kinda looks like Ellie too.

[@jediknight73]

The most depressing movie ever!!

[@lordrosemount]

Nope, the most depressing movie ever is Threads, hands down and no contest.

[@hl8808]

rob morgan yeah it was pretty messed up

[@hl8808]

David Bean what’s it about?

[@spencinator67]

Book is even more depressing

[@YPAReviews]

rob morgan in 20 years this will be a documentary, actually it won’t be since there will be no operating projectors left.

[@jeremy8398]

I love that throughout the story the sky is always dark and grey and monotone. But at the end there is JUST that little sliver of light

[@keatonkinsey1322]

"You have my whole heart, you always did."

[@DaveFisher-cq2dr]

for those of you who do not know, the apocalypse in this movie was caused by a meteor strike, not a nuclear war

[@Logannnnnnnnnnn]

Yea but I don’t think it ever says what it was exactly

[@benjjackson5730]

Not quite, you don’t know what caused it because the film/book doesn’t mention it. The reader has to decide

[@benjjackson5730]

However the book does say that the sea smells of iodine indoctrinating that it was likely a nuclear catastrophe

[@DaveFisher-cq2dr]

@@benjjackson5730 but if it was a nuclear catastrophe, then many buildings would have been destroyed and blown away, and there would be radiation everywhere

[@Meticulous20]

@@DaveFisher-cq2drThe amount of damage caused by Nuclear Bombs can vary, so maybe the setting this film takes place in might not be as close to the bomb. Also, in the modern day, we use Hydrogen Bombs, which have a bigger blast but less radiation, also, if I recall, in the book it says there was a great flash of light, and then all signals shut off due to probably an emp blast. Also it says that the dad/parent turned on all the taps, something you’re meant to do if there is a nuclear strike, in order to collect drinkable water before the radiation hits. Also a nuclear blast explains why the dads wife went blind.

[@RyanB1987]

"Yeah I'm carrying the fire"

[@yoshim616]

The optimist in me thinks that even if the world dies, these people lived a long life and a life as happy as it could have been. I believe that….truly.

[@verzeda]

Just cried like a baby watching this ending scene. What a beautiful film.

[@MarkHandlesFeatureBroke]

Rest in peace, Papa McCarthy. We will carry the fire for you. ❤‍🔥

[@joerafferty3248]

Just finished reading the book. I still think Blood Meridian is McCarthy's masterpiece but The Road is definitely up there with his best work.

[@lukester102d6]

Joe Rafferty what’s blood meridian about?

[@joerafferty3248]

@@lukester102d6 Blood Meridian is a Western set just after the Mexican-American War and follows a young boy who gets taken in by a gang of American mercenaries led by a man called Judge Holden, who is kind of like a Colonel Kurtz figure from Apocalypse Now, and they bascially spend their time rampaging around the US-Mexico borderlands killing anyone they come across. Eventually the boy just becomes used to the violence around them because it enables his sociopathic tendencies. It just completely blew my mind when i first read it because it reminded me a lot of Apocalypse Now in many ways which is my favourite film. But just the way McCarthy writes and his style completely hooked me from the get go and i just couldn't stop reading.

[@lukester102d6]

Joe Rafferty Sounds awesome! I just finished the road, and I’m gonna read this one next.

[@starwarsroo2448]

No Country For Old Men has entered the chat

[@AlexG1020]

Yeah The Road is clearly an ode to his son, but what BM is dealing with is on a whole other level with Gnosticism and the epilogue and the judge's whole philosophy, the historical vocabulary and context, etc.

[@peternolan4855]

How can such a heartbreaking story be so filled with hope?

[@zoxoor3759]

its not

[@coinraker6497]

Wow, Viggo is really good at keeping still.

[@Lokislav]

they killed the actor for this scene

[@strenghtbracer1826]

@@Lokislav i heard they've started a real apocalypse to make everything look real, amazing commitment

[@LeegolasandEl]

@@strenghtbracer1826 lol

[@colinloh6427]

Aragorn has fallen.

[@fettfan91]

Very underrated movie, and an excellent final scene that shows how the Boy had learned and grown.

[@r.s.9861]

Rest In Peace, Cormac McCarthy 🖤

[@pladapus8968]

Man, you know the scene where the in the bunker and they hear a dog outside and because of it they leave the shelter. I guess it was this family that was following them. God this movie is so realistic and depressing.

[@haraldisdead]

I haven't cried that hard in a long long long time

[@AVengerNSS]

the scariest thing in life is leaving those who needs you the most! really hard feeling

[@TheMetalhead678]

These people are so sweet and kind, in an apocalypse that's the people I'd trust, that's who I'd want to have on my side.

[@rudetc]

I always wished that this ended flashing forward twenty years to the kid, now grown up, standing in the middle of a town he had built, thinking of his father.That this was the story of the child that grew into the man who took the fire and recreated civilisation. Instead of probably just a story about one of the three nice new kid slaves bucktoothed Guy Pearce found that day.

[@chermebrownsauce8049]

this movie is powerful! beautiful and sad at the same time! the journey is too painful, but in the bond of the father and son, u can see glimpses of hope down somewhere on the road found this movie at that time, on a pen drive given to me by a coworker, with many films in it. watch it and fell in love! awesome discovering underrated flicks like this

[@gameby41]

If you notice at the end of the video, it became brighter and slightly more color, showing that theres still hope in the world

[@hazelstreet1654]

I watched this while smoking a bowl. I almost through the flat screen out the window when it ended. This movie is so great.

[@kennaoconnor4633]

Seeing that dog made everything better. Loved this movie.

[@seraphik]

i love how the dog more or less looks okay. like mentally. everyone else has the harrowed look of a survivor in their eyes, but the dog is just like "yay, I'm a little dirty but I'm with my fam 🙃"

[@kingbobbie1915]

If this was ever to become a show, I would watch all of it in a instant and want more.

[@JeremyAvis1978]

Me too!

[@victorfergn]

no enough food for a show

[@nessiebwur]

Read the book

[@anthonyt219]

I stopped at the the part where they reached the safe house or basement. That was my perfect ending. The relationship and performance between the father and son felt so real to me. Viggo had such expressive eyes that were gentle and kind which was perfect casting. I think a lot of people can be overwhelmed by the films depressing nature. A world without hope and light, what little light there was, it was carried in very few people like the father and son. The movie should be watched by more people but I can understand why some people stay away from it

[@Wastelander1972]

I think the thing that really convinces me here of their actually being good is the man himself. He knew the man he was with was gone, but he made no effort or desperate attempt to entice the boy to follow him. He gave him a choice. Compared to, say, the cannibal that his father shoots at the beginning of the film. There’s no false smiles, no promises of anything in exchange for service… a choice followed by a friendly piece of advice that they probably should have figured out for themselves throughout the film. His demeanor, the fact that he knew the boy’s father was dead but didn’t force the boy to do anything. I’m sure one could argue the boy had a gun too, but seeing how scared he was? I’m sure he could have forced or tricked the boy and taken his pistol and killed him, but he doesn’t. A man, his family, their dog, and a bandolier full of shotgun shells? I could see hope when he came the boy’s way. I’d have made the same choice.

[@felipevillanueva1309]

“Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a thing which could not be put back. Not be made right again. In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery.”

[@samcoon6699]

This is actually a pretty good portrayal of how people would be. A lot of bad ones, a few good ones.

[@nicknickson3650]

isn't that how the world is right now? In my experience it's rare to meet genuinely moral, God loving people.

[@joshythehand2960]

Or people willing to do bad things to insure their family survives. You might be a great person... but if your family is starving and you happen upon someone pushing along a cart of food.. even the best people will make sure iys THEIR kids who eat that night

[@gradeahonky]

I just read the book and all I could think when I watched this was "Damn, everyone's cheeks are so plump and healthy. That kid looks like he spent the first half of his day at an all you can eat buffet."

[@victorfergn]

Not all actors are Christian Bale

[@jaydenslaptop]

@@victorfergn true

[@Nia-zq5jl]

Wasn’t he in the bunker long ago? But yeah probably looked the same before as well

[@daviddolan9183]

Both the book and the movie are classics. The movie deserves better reviews because it's a masterpiece of survival movies.

[@3pound]

Such a beautiful piece of film.

[@BricksAndSparrows]

This is just the father’s dream as he lays dying. He see’s an idealized version of what might be for his son. “When you dream about bad things, it shows you’re still alive and fighting. It’s when you dream about good things, you should start to worry.” There’s a good man with a boy and a dog his son dreamed about. That man will take the son off of The Road the father feared he would travel alone. There is even a little bit of redemption for the father in this dream: a man missing thumb(s) comes to the rescue, to make up for the thumbless man the father left naked and cold. What’s on the other side? Nothing. There’s gotta be something. Maybe a man and his son… This doesn’t need to be some grim terrible twist of an ending. The story just ends with the vision of hope the father has for his son. Anyway, that’s how I like to imagine this ending. And the film makers seem to be nudging the viewer towards it.

[@joshuakita1137]

Filmed in my hometown Erie,Pa

[@mramzuk8]

Was that Presque Isle state park? Spent many childhood summers there.

[@Dewitt-b8n]

Tbe boy is the word of God. He is the Fire. The light. The warmth

[@atlastpeace]

The holy spirit

[@ChainsawGutsFuck]

Guy's character is credited as "The Veteran", and there's plenty of things to suggest he is morally "good". From still owning a dog rather than eating it, to travelling with what is likely his original family (including the family dog), to missing a thumb. Only the cannibals in this film have both thumbs, so missing one seems to either be some sort of punishment or established "code" to let others know they're not cannibals.

[@monopoly1027]

How high were you when you thought that characters having both thumbs was an indication of cannibalism?

[@KillerAlmond]

I always wondered about the thumbs too. The man the father took the clothes from didn't have thumbs either

[@windigo44]

Sounds good in theory but if you lop off a thumb & later become a cannibal you'll have some serious explaining to do

[@harrisonmccartney4878]

@@KillerAlmond I think it might be a reference to the punishment thieves faced, having to sacrifice one of their fingers or hands for stealing with it. Considering cannibals eat people/body parts, it may be that there are some who are reluctant to kill a whole person who give the thief the option to sacrifice a body part for a "snack". Thumbs are arguably the meatiest finger for most people, especially among the emaciated, and it's immensely inconvenient for anyone to lose their thumbs, so not only does it function as a harsh punishment for stealing, but it can double for providing food to those who were wronged by the thief.

[@james87367]

This film broke me down to a nothing. I was deeply upset by this ending. I lost my father too and know how bad it feels. You feel empty.

[@skotters]

As good as the book and movie were, I don't think I can ever read or watch them again. Hurts.

[@michaelswords4416]

Only film ending that made me well up tears, and then to bring on a feeling of hope a few minutes later.

[@ConMan2425]

Haven’t seen the movie but just read the book, glad to see it seems like a good rendition and I can’t wait to watch the full thing

[@jillwhite544]

It is so close to the book. There are even a lot of direct quotes from the book in the movie.

[@clifton12345]

This movie is incredibly difficult to watch. Not in a bad way. Just in the way that how it’s portrayed would be what would happen if this did happen in the real world. It’s a scary reality to imagine…beyond terrifying.

[@nikairemadze4155]

one of the best ending scenes, during the film you think that he is the best father, but in the end, you realize that be a man is not only a good father it about care about family and retain it. the real heroes always are on the background and nobody noticed like this man he retains everything even in this situation.

[@january2568]

They prolly tricked him and had him for BBQ later that night

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodpl9761]

😂👏👍

[@dirtydan1889]

@Borderguy342 r/woooosh

[@WcHDICE]

Mmmmmm children

[@schaengel]

I have 2 young Boys, im married. With That milestone in my Life, i‘m maybe able to understand the deep and unvisible message in that heartbreaking ending scene….

[@treebear4620]

Carry the fucking fire my fellow humans. Carry it forever.

[@rudivriends5582]

One of my favorite movies, even if it is so sad. It shows a lot of humanity in it. A really underestimated movie.

[@wowanimejoshua5149]

Love that both an amazing movie and an amazing game ended on the same word just with different meanings and music

[@nessiebwur]

You mean book, not game

[@novasite7795]

My opinion. There should have been no musical score at the end. Just the sound of the waves. The score lessens the tension of the scene. The silence would have left it more ambiguous. Are the people actually good? Even if they are good, how can they all survive for more than a few months longer?

[@CTRL_F]

What’s interesting about that is, in the book by Cormac McCarthy, the author uses a callback from very early in the story, where he describes something very particular the Father does while the Boy is with him, that the Veteran mirrors exactly, with the same intent - this scene (in the book) is designed precisely to be a release of all tension. The poetic descriptions of the sights and sounds left on the beach specifically hint at hope as well. With that in mind, this ending was never intended to be bleak. Highly recommend the book, it’s my #1 favorite.

[@RhodokTribesman]

If they didn't eat their dog, they're probably fine. Someone who would be willing to eat a person wouldn't have a dog for very long if starving.

[@M1KEMEX]

@@CTRL_F What is that?

[@CTRL_F]

@@M1KEMEX it’s the throwaway line from the boys perspective about his father early on, that he “looked out toward the sky, as if there were anything to see” (roughly, I don’t have it on-hand). In the book when the Boy meets the veteran at the end, after describing him, the exact same line is used as the boy watches the Veteran talk, 100% intentional.

[@josephagar1005]

God, this movie looks depressing as hell.

[@jacobking4504]

It's so good though.

[@alheadbme]

This is the uplifting hopeful ending...

[@MHiggins]

@@alheadbme This is the ending but there is still lots of challenges out there. Cannibals didn’t disappear. The marauders didn’t disappear. They are all there.

[@alheadbme]

@@MHiggins I said hopeful, not totally safe. I think he's found a decent family to throw in with. A vet with a gun, a mother, another child, and a dog. None of the challenges have disappeared, but he won't face them alone.

[@MHiggins]

@@alheadbme That’s the most important thing I agree. If you listen to the end credits scene you can hear a lot of sounds. Go through and listen to it. These people should set up a fortified town and start to rebuild slowly. It will take a long time. In the Salmon has come back to the rivers. There was a bug so the bugs are coming back.

[@raftom4454]

The kid will provide good nourishment for the family.

[@riou42]

I think I lose it the hardest when the piano keys start to play when the boy says goodbye to his papa. I’m going to hug my baby now.