Throughout April, we’re counting down to the release of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 with our picks for the Greatest Comic Book Movies of All Time; here’s #20…
Road to Perdition, 2002.
Directed by Sam Mendes.
Starring Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Liam Aiken, Dylan Baker, Ciaran Hinds and Anthony LaPaglia.
After winning an Oscar for his directorial debut American Beauty, director Sam Mendes turned to Max Allan Collins’ epic crime drama Road to Perdition for his second film, assembling a stellar cast of acting talent that included Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Paul Newman, along with future Marvel stars Stanley Tucci (Dr. Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger), Dylan Baker (Dr. Curt Connors in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3) and Ciaran Hinds (The Devil in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance).
Originally published by the DC imprint Paradox Press, Road to Perdition is set during the Depression and centres on mob enforcer Michael O’Sullivan (played in the film version by Hanks). When his wife and youngest son are killed by his double-crossing bosses, Michael is forced to go on the run his eldest Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) while he looks for an opportunity to extract his revenge. A critical and commercial success, Road to Perdition was nominated for six Academy Awards (including a Best Supporting Actor nod for Paul Newman, making him the first person to receive a nomination for acting in a comic book adaptation), with Conrad Hall posthumously receiving the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Keep up to date with our entire countdown here.
Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen – Available now via Amazon.co.uk
Originally published April 6, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
