Road to Perdition
2002 · 117 min · Director: Sam Mendes
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
1931. Mike Sullivan and Connor Rooney are two henchmen of elderly downstate IL-based Irish-American mobster John Rooney, Connor's father. In many respects, John treats Mike more as his son, who he raised as his own after Mike was orphaned, than the volatile Connor, who nonetheless sees himself as the heir apparent to the family business. One evening, Mike's eldest son, twelve year old Michael Sullivan Jr., who has no idea what his father does for a living, witnesses Connor and his father gun down an associate and his men, the situation gone wrong initiated from an action by Connor. Caught witnessing the incident, Michael is sworn to secrecy about what he saw. Regardless, Connor, not wanting any loose ends, makes an attempt to kill Mike, his wife and their two sons. Mike and the surviving members of his family know that they need to go on the run as Connor, who has gone into hiding, will be protected through mob loyalty, especially by John, who cannot turn on his own flesh and blood. Still, Mike has to figure out a way for retribution for what Connor did, while still protecting him and his family, not only from Connor, but from John and his fellow associates. Through it all, Mike wants those in his family that had no say in what he chose as a living, to have some redemption for their eternal souls.
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Emotional fingerprint
Road to Perdition (2002) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 30%, Empathy 22%, Tension 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Melancholy30%
- Empathy22%
- Tension20%
- Sadness15%
- Love13%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Melancholy, Empathy, Tension. Genres: Thriller, Drama, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Empathy and Tension. Its IMDb rating of 7.6/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 72/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Tension
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Tension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Curiosity | 38 % | 20 % | 17 % | 13 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 9′ | Sadness | 43 % | 26 % | 26 % | 26 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Tension | 51 % | 30 % | 29 % | 44 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 20′ | Curiosity | 57 % | 32 % | 23 % | 54 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Tension | 63 % | 34 % | 21 % | 61 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Tension | 64 % | 29 % | 20 % | 63 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Tension | 70 % | 39 % | 33 % | 65 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 44′ | Sadness | 79 % | 63 % | 59 % | 70 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 50′ | Sadness | 76 % | 61 % | 56 % | 69 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 56′ | Tension | 70 % | 49 % | 40 % | 64 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Empathy | 65 % | 44 % | 34 % | 57 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 67′ | Tension | 64 % | 36 % | 23 % | 59 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 73′ | Tension | 65 % | 35 % | 15 % | 63 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Tension | 69 % | 43 % | 19 % | 66 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 85′ | Tension | 76 % | 60 % | 36 % | 60 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Empathy | 80 % | 73 % | 59 % | 49 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 97′ | Sadness | 80 % | 70 % | 68 % | 55 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 102′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 108′ | Sadness | 90 % | 87 % | 82 % | 55 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 114′ | Empathy | 85 % | 83 % | 73 % | 30 % |
Oedipus
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
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Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
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Cast
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Details
- Directed by
- Sam Mendes
- Written by
- David Self, Max Allan Collins, Richard Piers Rayner
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2002
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Melancholy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Also on
Availability varies by country
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