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The Man on the Road

The Man on the Road

2022110 minMidcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Director
Gianluca Mangiasciutti
Starring
Aurora Giovinazzo, Lorenzo Richelmy, Astrid Casali, Marit Nissen

Irene is only eight years old when she witnesses her father’s death at the hands of a hit-and-run. Haunted by the sense of guilt of not being able to remember the killer’s face, Irene becomes a rebellious and introverted teen with the sole obsession of getting herself justice.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Man on the Road?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list The Man on the Road on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Man on the Road?

The Man on the Road earns 1 badge: Award Nominee.

Reception

Is The Man on the Road worth watching?

The Man on the Road's Midcredits score is the 49th percentile of all films, from 1.1K ratings across 4 sources. 45% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

49th percentile

Better received than 49% of films

83rd percentile among Thriller50th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)52nd
Approval (how many liked it)45th

62 /100

52nd percentile of all films

84th percentile among Thriller53rd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

45% liked it

45th percentile of all films

79th percentile among Thriller47th percentile among 2020s
45% rated it 7–1055% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

59th percentile

1.1K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Thriller57th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$149K

65th percentile earner in its genre.

Watch experience

What is The Man on the Road like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is played straight and serious, treating its dark premise with emotional weight rather than ironic distance.
The rideThe film maintains a brooding tension with melancholy undertones, building toward an emotionally charged and uncertain climax.
StructureThe synopsis outlines a chronological progression from the childhood trauma, through Irene's plan and its complications, to an unexpected turn.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's psychological entanglement and moral ambiguity leave the viewer uneasy and pondering the nature of justice and guilt.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

with Tragedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by Irene's quest to make the man who killed her father pay; she infiltrates his factory under a false identity. The psychological entanglement that follows gives it a tragic undercurrent.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRevengeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Revenge · 4% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on Irene's all-consuming pursuit of private justice, which entangles her in a web of lies and complicated feelings for her target.
StanceThe film questions the morality of Irene's revenge, showing how it entangles her with the man she hates without offering easy answers.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Alessandro Bencini
SettingA modern Italian industrial town, centering on a factory floor and a family home.
MusicAn original score by Alessandro Bencini that likely underscores the film's brooding tension and emotional weight.

Content guide

Is The Man on the Road okay for kids?

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Brazil14
  • ItalyT
  • Spain16

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does The Man on the Road have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Man on the Road?

Cast

Aurora Giovinazzo
as Irene
Lorenzo Richelmy
as Michele
Astrid Casali
as Laura
Marit Nissen
as Milana
Micol Damilano
as Agata
Giulia Fraschetti
as Camilla
Christoph Hülsen
as Anthony
Giancarlo Judica Cordiglia
as GIP
Arianna Barbetta
as Pam piccola
Giuliano Berti
as Padre Irene

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Man on the Road?

Movies like The Man on the Road include Una (2016), The Comfort of Strangers (1990) and This Man Must Die (1969). All three are psychological thrillers; two are films that feel melancholic.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with The Man on the Road?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: revenge thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.