Runaway Train

"Desperate, and determined to survive."

1985 1h 51m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 692

ActionThrillerDramaAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A hardened convict and a younger prisoner escape from a brutal prison in the middle of winter only to find themselves on an out-of-control train with a female railway worker while being pursued by the vengeful head of security.

“Desperate, and determined to survive.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jon Voight
Oscar 'Manny' Manheim
Eric Roberts
Buck
Rebecca De Mornay
Sara
Kyle T. Heffner
Frank Barstow
John P. Ryan
Ranken
T.K. Carter
Dave Prince
Kenneth McMillan
Eddie MacDonald
Stacey Pickren
Ruby

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
Writers: Edward Bunker, Djordje Milicevic, Paul Zindel
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 88% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, shot by Alan Hume. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Trevor Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Henry Richardson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jon Voight and Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Desperate, and determined to survive.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrei Konchalovsky directs. Alan Hume behind the camera. Trevor Jones scores. Henry Richardson cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 88% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, shot by Alan Hume. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Trevor Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Henry Richardson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jon Voight and Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Desperate, and determined to survive.".
8IMDB entry: tt0089941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "attempt to escape", "train accident", "prison warden", "prison escape".
10Released under 20 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original score: Trevor Jones
Editing: Henry Richardson
Production design: Stephen Marsh
Costume design: Katherine Dover
Makeup / hair: Allan A. Apone
Stunt coordinator: Loren Janes
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $9,000,000
Box office: $7,936,012
Return: 88% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Runaway Train (1985)

Awards

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Andrei Konchalovsky

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2021-01-03
★ 10/10
Masterpiece How "Runaway Train" bombed at the box office in December, 1985, I'll never know because it's the perfect blend of blockbuster thrills and weighty subtext. The story involves Manny (Jon Voight), a notorious prison hero, who escapes a maximum security prison in the frozen wastelands of Alaska. He is joined by a naive follower (Eric Roberts) and they stow away on a train consisting of four locomotives, but the train runs away. Meanwhile, the arrogant warden (John P. Ryan) is on the warpath for Manny. "Runaway Train" is such a powerful experience because it's much more than just a mindless action flick, as the title would suggest. The thrilling events are actually a stage for a fascinating study of the human condition. Manny is a hardened convict who's "at war with the world and everyone in it." When called an animal he replies, "No, worse -- human!" This is a man who wants one thing, freedom, but he knows that he's too far gone to make it in conventional society. He shares a parable with his dumb partner, made up on the spot, about having a menial job and submitting to the boss even though you might want to rip his throat out. This is the key to making it in society -- submitting to authority and resisting the rage within; and then getting your check on payday and enjoying the fruits thereof. Manny wishes he could do this, but knows he can't. So what hope is there for him in modern society? If he can't do that then why's he escaping prison? In other words, Manny knows there's no hope for him, even if his escape is successful. To him, freedom can only come one way. I don't believe this, but I understand why he believes it. There's another potent scene where Manny has a knife and mercilessly comes against his own "partner". You see the rage on his face, like a cornered animal. After intense emotions are vented Manny suddenly realizes... and then he just bows over, utterly spent. A character, who should be afraid of him, somehow understands and compassionately reaches out in a semi-embrace. Powerful scenes like these are combined with surreal images of the misshapen locomotives barreling down the tracks in the freezing wilderness accompanied by the ominous score by Trevor Jones. Some parts of the score scream mid-80s, but other parts are timeless. Rebecca De Mornay has an atypical role as a railroad worker who stumbles on to the convicts. She intuitively sees through their macho posturing. Although she knows they're desperate & dangerous, she also sees that they're not wholly evil. Roberts is basically a kid at heart and Manny is just blinded by the incredible rage within. He's only irredeemable because of his stupid pride, built up over years of hardened confinement. Voight is near unrecognizable as Manny and Roberts is just superb as his dumb sidekick. These two along with De Mornay are examples of acting at its finest. John P. Ryan is very effective as the machismo warden Ranken, but his Captain Ahab-like role comes off too comic booky to be plausible. Yet Ranken shows that you can be an "animal" on the outside of prison just as much as on the inside. Both Manny and Ranken are corrupted by pride, but Manny at least knows it. And he's not too far gone to recognize those who are worthy of life and to respond accordingly. The film was shot in Montana (Anaconda & Deer Lodge) and Alaska (Whittier & Portage) and runs 1 hour, 51 minutes. GRADE: A+
JPV8522021-02-09
★ 8/10
Really solid action-thriller and a testament that a bulk takes place on a train. Great performances from Jon Voight and Eric Roberts, not to mention John P. Ryan as the d-bag warden. Had heard of this film but never sat down to watch, glad I did. 3.75/5