You know what to “Street film“? Known in Brazil as “road film”, this film genre involves works that take place mainly during a trip or journey, often on the road. The journey can take place by car, bus, motorbike or even on foot, passing through different places and facing a series of challenges along the way.
Generally, the focus of road movies is on the characters’ physical journey, exploring internal conflicts and transformations along the way. Themes such as self-discovery, freedom, alienation and the search for meaning in life are common in this type of production.
If you are interested in learning more about “Street Film”Below we present 10 titles of this genre.
Road Movies: the best films
Geena Davis plays Thelma and Susan Sarandon Louise, two friends who embark on a journey that has become a landmark for feminism in Hollywood cinema. Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Brad Pitt make up the cast.
A success with critics and audiences, this film directed by Ridley Scott tells the story of a repressed housewife and a middle-aged waitress who decide to go on holiday.
However, things take an unexpected turn when one of them kills a man who tries to rape her. Now they are fugitives from the police.

A tragicomedy that was a success with audiences and critics, “Little Miss Sunshine” is a road movie with a plot that seeks to entertain and excite the viewer.
The film tells the story of a dysfunctional family who travels in an old yellow van to support their youngest daughter in a children’s beauty pageant.
The cast includes Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin.

This acclaimed drama, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, chronicles a journey of self-discovery. The plot follows a selfish yuppie (Cruise) who discovers that his millionaire father has died, leaving most of the inheritance to his autistic, know-it-all brother (Hoffman), who he was unaware of his existence.
Determined to get the money, he kidnaps his brother from the asylum and embarks on a journey across the United States. However, their relationship deepens during the trip.
Winner of four Oscars, including Best Film, Best Director for Barry Levinson, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman.

A point of reference for North American counterculture, this film directed by actor and director Dennis Hopper is prestigious for its cultural and generational importance.
Capturing the spirit of the times, the work discusses developments in the hippie movement, drug use, the American dream and alternative lifestyles and communities.
In addition to directing, Dennis Hopper also wrote the screenplay with Peter Fonda. They both play two bikers traveling across the United States. After taking advantage of a cocaine order, the couple heads to a festival in New Orleans. Jack Nicholson also stars in the film.

German director Wim Wenders is recognized as one of the greatest road movie experts in the history of cinema. He is famous for his “Road Movie” trilogy, works produced between 1974 and 1976 that defined a unique aesthetic in the genre. Subsequently, he revisited the theme in more famous and bigger budget productions, such as “Paris, Texas”.
The starting point, however, was “Alice in the Cities”. In the plot, a German journalist living in New York tries to travel by plane to Munich. At the airport he meets a mother and her 9-year-old daughter, also German.
However, the woman disappears, leaving the child in the man’s care. Together they begin a journey back to Germany, in search of the girl’s grandmother.

A cult classic directed by Monte Hellman, this “road movie” presents a contemplative approach and does not have a conventional plot. The film stars musicians James Taylor (an important American singer and songwriter) and Dennis Wilson (drummer for the Beach Boys). The cast also includes Warren Oates and Laurie Bird.
The story follows two friends, the driver (Taylor) and his mechanic (Wilson), who travel across the United States in a modified car trying to street race to make money. Along the way they meet a woman (Laurie Bird) and another driver (Oates), who challenge them to a race for the loser’s car.

Under the direction of Peter Bogdanovich, this black-and-white comedy-drama is recognized as a classic of American cinema. The film highlights the collaboration between real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O’Neal.
Set during the Great Depression in the United States, the narrative follows a traveling hustler who swindles widows. During a funeral, she ends up taking responsibility for an orphan. The two establish a peculiar collaboration during a trip to the interior of the United States.

One of the most well-known and prestigious films of our cinema falls into the “road film” genre.
Directed by Walter Salles, the film stars Fernanda Montenegro, who plays a retired teacher who works as a letter writer for illiterates at Brazil’s Central Station.
However, he ends up finding himself responsible for a boy whose mother, one of his clients, dies after being hit by a car. From there the two leave for the Northeast in search of the boy’s father.

This film by surrealist director David Lynch features a more conventional plot, but it is still unusual.
Based on true events, the film tells the story of an elderly man who, because he doesn’t have a driver’s license, crosses the United States on a lawnmower to visit his sick brother.
Focusing on the encounters and friendships the old man makes along the way, the film received critical acclaim for its sensitivity and affection.

A success of Mexican cinema, this film recounts a coming-of-age journey directed by award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón.
The plot follows two teenagers who go on a road trip with an older woman headed to a paradise beach. Throughout the adventure, the film develops questions of identity, maturity and sexuality.
With cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, the film stars Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Maribel Verdú.
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Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.