The Proposition director John Hillcoat’s adap of Cormac McCarthy’s oblivion-bleak, dead-world wander is remarkably affecting and faithful to the book’s desolate feel. The tale of a father crossing a mysteriously ruined earth with his young son has a sparkling cast (Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron) and Hillcoat’s focus on glistening snow and ravaged roadsides could see it emerge as 2009’s The Assassination Of Jesse James… But hopefully seen by a few more people.

More on The Road.

Read the other parts of our 30 must see films of Winter 2008:

Part One

Part Three