Tom Hanks has never shown any interest in lending his talents to effects-driven blockbusters or broad superhero stories, so it wasn’t a shock that when the actor agreed to star in a comic book adaptation, it was about as far away from the standard spandex and saving the world shenanigans as you could imagine.
Based on Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner’s acclaimed graphic novel, Road to Perdition came attached with an incredible level of talent on either side of the camera. Sam Mendes was fresh from winning an Academy Award for Best Director thanks to his breakout feature debut American Beauty, which also scooped Best Picture.
Hanks, meanwhile, a two-time Oscar winner himself, was lent support by a solid mix of rising talents and established names like Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh and even future Superman Tyler Hoechlin, and that’s without mentioning the legendary Paul Newman playing against type in his final live-action movie role as vicious mob boss John Rooney.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the film, it follows Tom Hanks‘ enforcer Mike Sullivan, who goes on the run with his son Michael after the youngster witnesses a hit, which causes Rooney’s own heir apparent Connor to murder Sullivan’s wife in retaliation. The duo set out across the country and end up bonding as Mike Sr. tries to figure out a way to gain a measure of revenge.
Road to Perdition was a big hit both critically and commercially, earning over $183 million at the box office and seeing Conrad L. Hall scoop a deserved posthumous Academy Award for Best Cinematography. It’s now available to stream on Netflix, having been a surprise addition to the content library when June’s new arrivals dropped yesterday, and is well worth checking out.