73
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Portland OregonianTed MaharPortland OregonianTed MaharIf there is a drive-in classic, this is it. [04 Jun 1999]
- 80Time OutGeoff AndrewTime OutGeoff AndrewCheaply made, disreputable, and blatantly anti-authority, it's a winner all the way, what with a stunningly laconic performance from Mitchum, white-hot night-time road scenes, and an affectionate but unsentimental vision of backwoods America rarely seen in cinema to this day.
- This film no doubt planted the seeds for more good ol' boy action pics (White Lightning, Smokey and the Bandit), but while many of those vehicles relied solely on high-speed hijinks, Mitchum's story and charismatic screen presence make Thunder Road a ride to remember.
- This has become a minor cult classic and is one of Mitchum's more interesting (and bizzare) efforts.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonLos Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonLong considered one of the ultimate drive-in movies, the granddaddy of both "The Last American Hero" and "Smokey and the Bandit," this black-and-white drama is still entertaining if you take it in the raffish, off-slant, what-the-hell spirit with which star-producer Robert Mitchum obviously intended it. [09 Dec 1988, p.24]
- 63Slant MagazineNick SchagerSlant MagazineNick SchagerThe ubiquitously involved star’s charisma can’t completely overshadow a sluggish plot... Nonetheless, its hard-charging chase sequences make it a vintage Dukes of Hazzard-flavored noir.