When you’re the guy who’s convincingly played both Walt Disney and Fred Rogers, the idea of seeing you as a cold-blooded mob enforcer doesn’t exactly compute. But Tom Hanks has made a career out of challenging expectations — and one of his boldest, most quietly devastating swings is finally heading to free streaming. Road to Perdition, the underrated gangster drama that gave Hanks one of his most haunting roles, is coming to Pluto TV on July 1.
Released in 2002 and directed by Sam Mendes, Road to Perdition gave the Oscar-winning actor a rare chance to tap into his darker side — and audiences didn’t quite know what to make of it. Despite critical acclaim and six Oscar nominations, including a posthumous nod for Paul Newman, the film somehow drifted out of mainstream conversation. But not for Hanks. He’s often referred to Road to Perdition as his most underrated performance, and watching it now, it’s easy to see why.
What Is ‘Road to Perdition’ About?
Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a hitman working for an Irish mob family in Depression-era Illinois. He’s stoic, cold, and emotionally locked down — a man so reserved it feels like any sudden movement might crack him open. His boss and father figure, John Rooney (Paul Newman), trusts him like a son. But when Sullivan’s actual son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), witnesses a murder, a chain of events is set in motion that sends father and son on the run — and on a path toward violent reckoning.
This isn’t the expressive, affable Hanks we know from Forrest Gump or Saving Private Ryan. Here, everything is internal. His smile is tight and forced. His voice, low, brittle, and clipped. He’s a man suffocating under years of guilt and silence — and Hanks plays it all with remarkable restraint. Even when tragedy hits, and Sullivan finds his wife and youngest son murdered, his reaction is more chilling than explosive. He screams, yes. But the tears don’t come. He doesn’t know how to cry. Not anymore.
While Road to Perdition wasn’t a box office failure, it never reached the same level of cultural impact as other Hanks-led dramas. That’s partially because it was so unlike anything else in his filmography. When he’s played villains since — like in Cloud Atlas or Elvis — the results have been hit or miss. But Road to Perdition hit the sweet spot: a flawed man trying to be good, even when he’s spent a lifetime being something else.
Road to Perdition streams for free on Pluto TV starting July 1.