Tom Hanks has built a career on playing the everyman hero—the kind of guy you'd trust with your life. But in 2002, he took a sharp detour into the shadows, starring in a crime epic that feels like The Last of Us meets The Godfather. That film is Road to Perdition, and it's leaving Peacock on May 1, 2026. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the time to catch this dark masterpiece.
Directed by Sam Mendes as his follow-up to American Beauty, Road to Perdition is a somber, beautifully shot mob drama that explores the bond between fathers and sons. Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a Mafia fixer who works for a powerful crime boss (Paul Newman in his final live-action role). When Sullivan's family is caught in the crossfire of mob betrayal, he takes his young son (Tyler Hoechlin) on a revenge-fueled road trip across Depression-era America. It's a journey that echoes the emotional weight of The Last of Us, where a hardened protector and a child navigate a brutal world.
The film boasts an incredible ensemble cast, including Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Craig, in particular, is chilling as a hitman with a camera. The cinematography by the late Conrad L. Hall won an Oscar, and Thomas Newman's score is hauntingly beautiful. Road to Perdition holds a Certified Fresh 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its "somber, stately" tone and its exploration of family loyalty.
Hanks was at the peak of his career when he made this film, coming off Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away. He chose to work with a breakout director on a morally complex character—a decision that paid off in the long run. Though he didn't receive an Oscar nomination for this role, the film has become a cult classic, and his performance is now regarded as one of his finest. It's a reminder that Hanks can be just as compelling playing a flawed, violent man as he is playing a beloved hero.
If you're a fan of Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen or Taylor Sheridan's Mayor of Kingstown, you'll appreciate the gritty, atmospheric crime storytelling in Road to Perdition. It's a film that proves the best crime sagas are about more than just bullets and betrayal—they're about the people we become to protect the ones we love.
Don't let this one slip away. Stream Road to Perdition on Peacock before May 1, 2026. And if you're looking for more underrated crime thrillers, check out our list of Forgotten Crime Thrillers That Are Flawless From First Frame to Last.
