It's gripping, suspenseful and well-acted by a starry cast but is finally let down by a plot which goes spectacularly off the rails in the final act.
Transsiberian (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:72
Fresh:65
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Traditional in form yet effective in execution, this taut thriller updates the "danger on a train" scenario with atmospheric sense.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an... With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective, Grinko (Ben Kingsley), arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. [More]
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara
Director: Brad Anderson
Director: Brad Anderson
Screenwriter: Will Conroy, Brad Anderson
Producer: Julio Fernandez
Composer: Alfonso De Vilallonga
Studio: First Look
Reviews for Transsiberian
Enjoyable train-based thriller with strong performances, gorgeous photography and some enjoyable dashes of Hitchcock scattered liberally throughout.
Takes a more cerebral route, toying with your expectations only to give you something else, whispering hints of what fate might have in store for the characters after the credits roll.
Transsiberian is more than a rote thriller; it’s also a sharp character study... actually, several studies in which the information about each character is slowly revealed and every scrap of knowledge further informs our understanding of the plot.
Though Anderson's storytelling gets murky at times, it's still a fine showcase for his versatility, adding to an impressive, under-the-radar résumé.
Modest thriller set aboard the titular train plays like low-suspense Hitchcock until sadly, in the last act, it derails.
Unfortunately, there's never a moment where you can't see Anderson and his co-writer, Will Conroy, yanking on the strings.
A well mounted, character-cognizant combination of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train and Andrei Konchalovskys existentially tinged Runaway Train.
It takes its sweet time, but Transsiberian is a frosty, gripping ride on the terror train. It maintains the generous beat, giving audiences a nice jolt of xenophobia to go with their helping of traditional thrills.
Director Brad Anderson throws in a red herring or two as he comments on Eurotrash and the greed-fueled lawlessness of the former Soviet Union, but he ultimately makes an even stronger statement about the dark side of female empowerment.
Transsiberian starts in neutral, taking the time to introduce its characters, and then goes from second into high like greased lightning. I was a little surprised to notice how thoroughly it wound me up. This is a good one.
It's got that classic thriller feel where characters are slowly caught in a mousetrap and they have to find their way out. It's a slow, menacing burn.
as Hitchcockian thrillers go, it's one of the smarter and more absorbing ones made in recent years
Though not one for literal smoke and mirrors, master of horror Brad Anderson, with his panache for arousing fear from harried reality and rotted atmosphere, is still a shaman.
Even if you've seen lots of movies of this type and can figure out exactly what's going to happen, Anderson takes great pleasure in the pure form and execution of it.
Whenever you may think you know where things are going, Anderson throws a number of clever and unexpected twists that keeps you on your toes.
This is a slow, deliberate and carefully thought out piece for adults who like to savour rather than devour their thrills
Transsiberian has more twists and turns in it than the real-life, extensive train route that gives this independently produced suspense-thriller its name.
Latest News for Transsiberian
January 13, 2009:
Nolan, del Toro, Stanton and More on Golden Tomatoes
Awards season is officially in full swing, with the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes already behind us and several more ceremonies scheduled in the weeks to come. RT is... More...
November 03, 2008:
RT on DVD: Get Smart, Futurama: Bender's Game and the Obama DVD Controversy
This week, pick up Steve Carell's sweetly bumbling spy antics (Get Smart), the promising new Futurama movie (Bender's Game), a few early holiday treats (Shrek the Halls, A... More...
August 07, 2008:
Exclusive Clip: Strangers and a Train in Transsiberian
Strangers on a train get caught in a web of murder and drug trafficking in Brad Anderson's exotic thriller, Transsiberian. Watch an exclusive clip from the film here. More...
July 17, 2008:
Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Is One Of The Year's Best-Reviewed
This week, we've got the Caped Crusader (The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger), ABBA aficionados (Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried),... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Transsiberian at Rotten Tomatoes
- Transsiberian at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

