The Road (2009)

The Road
Grade: B (Watch it)
Review: Flawless execution of this powerful story. Movie happens in a post-apocalyptic world. Earth is devastated, vegetation and crops are dying, civilization has disintegrated. Cause is not explained but it really doesn't matter. Story follows a son "The Boy" and father "The Man" walking toward the coast. The remaining rare survivors have been reduced to brutal survivalists that seek everything that can be used as food including other weak humans; sometimes enslaving them for later consumption.
Although movie doesn't have a single violent scene, viewer is terrorized and shaken by the implied violence and suspense. The son and father are suspicious and avoid everyone. Actors do an amazing job of portraying these isolated characters in a situation where death is far from the worst or scariest option. In fact death is an option constantly considered. The father training his son how to pull the trigger using the last two bullets is a chilling scene.
The director does a great job - without using special effects - creating this grayish landscape that is terrifyingly realistic.
If I was to critique one thing in this movie it is the unexplored relationship between "The Man" and his wife during few flash backs. It is evident that she decided to leave/die but it is not clear why is it relevant to the story. In retrospect I feel that the intent was to show that during hard times whether that is war, concentration camp, or post-apocalyptic world, we are only left with our memories (some good, some bad). This is not for everyone.