SummaryOne of those legendary train trips that people used to dream about taking, the Transsiberian Express has probably seen better days. An American couple, Roy and Jessie, decide to return home the long way from their recent sojourn in Peking and meet another couple from the West, Carlos and Abby, with whom they quickly form that tenuous bond that o... Read More
Directed By:Brad Anderson
Written By:Brad Anderson, Will Conroy
Transsiberian
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
81% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
19% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
88
One hell of a thriller. It's not often that I feel true suspense and dread building within me, but they were building during long stretches of this expertly constructed film.
80
All in all, the film is an excellent, if modest, alternative for moviegoers who have been blockbustered into submission this summer.
User score
Generally Favorable
51% Positive
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
40% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
9% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Sep 9, 2024
7
Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play a naïve, generic, overly trusting American couple on a voyage across Asia in this bleak, troubling thriller. During their week-long ride on the tracks of the Trans Siberian Railway, they quickly fall in with some shady characters and methodically dig themselves into a deep, dark hole. Harrelson is overly optimistic, single-minded and simple, like a railroad-obsessed slant on his character from Cheers, while Mortimer's guarded introvert tries to relive her rebellious younger years via a series of increasingly forehead-smacking decisions. Those missteps effectively fuel the plot, though, and quietly build to a hectic, frightening climax amidst the desolate Russian snow drifts. Tense, foreboding and nasty, it's often very tough to look past the female lead's idiotic judgment. All the same, I caught myself holding my breath in suspense more than once. Effective at what it sets out to do, TransSiberian is frequently predictable; not something I'll need to watch over and over again.
80
A vigorous, fast-paced tale that entwines plot with character and psychology set against an incredibly exotic backdrop.
75
Manages to pull off a couple of startling surprises.
75
Brad Anderson's Transsiberian is a genuine sleeper that jump-starts an almost extinct genre.
60
Since Alfred Hitchcock set the standard for strangers-on-a-train thrillers, Anderson has a lot to live up to. He falls short of creating a new classic, but he does manage to keep us on edge for most of the movie.
40
Just as nasty as the titular mode of transport is the script's wanton declaration of theme and a cynical and fashionable belief in moral grayness that may complement the frosty setting but nonetheless feels easy.
Aug 23, 2010
7
Charity workers go on long way round train journey to get home, meet fellow travellers, couple get separated, Russian police involved.
Quite a decent thriller which builds up nicely & has the inevitable "goes bonkers" at the end.
It does have some plot holes but always good to see Ben Kingsley in sinister roles & Emily Mortimer is very good too.
Aug 11, 2016
6
Transsiberian is a fine film with solid performances from the entire cast, however, the proceedings fall apart a bit in the second half. During the first half, the film is packed with tense thrills and incredible amounts of mystery, keeping you glued to your seat. However, in the second half, the film falters heavily. The tricks it pretended to have up its sleeve with not nearly worth it or downright predictable. At their worst, the plot elements in the second half become outlandish and wildly implausible, plus without reasonable explanation as to how certain things happen. Instead, the film opts to rush its ending a bit and skip ahead, but the pieces it skips would make the ending actually make more sense. Instead, the film is emotionally distant and keeps the audience at an arm's length, keeping us in the dark while it feels as though the characters know more than we ever will. That said, the film half is very well executed and incredibly tense. The acting is good throughout, plus the cinematography is quite good and the production design is very strong, especially aboard the train. Overall, Transsiberian hits the brakes and skids on the tracks in the second half, but its strong first half comes close to overcoming those problems.
Jun 11, 2015
6
"Transsiberian" is a well-acted and beautifully-shot thriller that manages to keep its viewers on their proverbial toes, even if moral ambiguity may hamper character development.
Jan 31, 2011
3
This is a silly movie. It definitely got too high a score from the critics. Stephen Holden, of the Times, spoiled the ending in the first line of his review. Well, I guess the movie spoiled itself. This is lazy filmmaking. Whoever mentioned **** in the same breath as this needs to have his mouth washed out with soap.
Dec 23, 2012
1
Terrible, terrible film. Desperately tries to be offbeat and sinister. Fails completely. Awful script, awful characters, awful acting. Please do not listen to the critics who are paid good money to pander to rubbish like this.
Production Company:
- Filmax International
- Canal+ España
- Filmax Group
- Castelao Producciones
- Universum Film (UFA)
- Telecinco Cinema
- Future Films
- Lietuvos Kinostudija
- Scout Productions
Release Date:Jul 18, 2008
Duration:1 h 51 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Arrive on time.
Website:
Awards
Gaudí Awards
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 3 Nominations
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
• 2 Nominations




























