The post-apocalyptic drama The Road begins with shots of barking dogs, blooming flowers, and nuzzling horses, but it is soon revealed that these everyday pleasures are fading memories for its protagonists. With a palette of grays and browns, it quickly shifts to the leafless trees and broken ground of a wasteland that has only barely survived an unnamed catastrophe. The world smolders when it doesn't all-out burn, and the vestiges of humanity struggle to survive and retain the things that made them human.

Amid bands of roving cannibals, an unnamed father (Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee, Romulus, My Father) have left their home behind and are traveling toward the coast with hopes that the warmer weather and proximity to the ocean will provide a haven. The Man remembers the world before, but The Boy was born to The Man's wife (Charlize Theron, Hancock) after the apocalypse. Food is scarce, and the crumbling world isn't the only danger. Men are desperate to live, and unspeakable horrors have become commonplace. The Man's only goal is his son's survival, and amidst the devastation, fatherly devotion still thrives.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by No Country for Old Men's Cormac McCarthy, The Road is, not surprisingly, bleak. The film has been pushed back multiple times, and there have been multiple test screenings, presumably to gauge audience reaction and the best way to market such a dark film. The future it presents isn't entirely unrealistic, and the most horrifying  element is the way that people treat each other in the face of tragedy. The film is filled with horrifying visuals, but one scene in particular should carry a warning label since it makes vomiting seem like a reasonable reaction to what's happening on the screen.

The Road, then, is not for the faint of heart, but there is a surprising undercurrent of hope, thanks largely to the presence of The Boy. Not only does the rare appearance of a child in the world evoke thoughts of a near-messianic significance, but he displays an incredible compassion in a world that is almost devoid of the emotion.

Director John Hillcoat may not be as famous as some of his contemporaries, but after his work on the Australian Western The Proposition, The Road is a natural career progression. It's an ambitious move, but this film carries a few of the hallmarks of the Western genre, particularly the good-guys-vs.-bad-guys theme and the struggle to survive in an unforgiving climate. The Road has a few problems — particularly in the pacing and tone of some scenes — but overall, Hillcoat has created a moving, effective film that works.

Director of photography Javier Aguirresarobe easily moves from his picturesque work on Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Sea Inside to the desolate landscapes of The Road. He works with very little color and grayish light that bears no resemblance to sunshine, but he manages to capture the ugly remains of the world in an artful manner. The cinematography is stark and arresting, even in the absence of any inherent beauty.

As assured as the direction and fine shooting are, the on-screen talent is the best part of The Road. The supporting cast includes an always strong Theron as The Woman, an almost unrecognizable Robert Duvall (Open Range) as a nearly blind survivor, and Guy Pearce (Hillcoat's The Proposition) as a fellow traveler. The Hills Have Eyes' Garret Dillahunt and The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams are excellent as men who threaten the safety of The Man and The Boy in two unsettling scenes.

However, The Road entirely belongs to Mortensen and newcomer Smit-McPhee. As seen in previous films such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, Mortensen isn't afraid to eschew glamour and vanity for a role. This is a part that is at once hard and soft, and he captures every facet of The Man with an always watchable intensity. As his young son, Smit-McPhee doesn't fall prey to child-star cliches. He feels honest and authentic in both his genuine smiles and tears, neither of which feel wrangled from the director or a stage parent.

The Road doesn't make for easy viewing. Some may be unable to handle its difficult picture of a seemingly hopeless future, but there's promise in the talent of its cast and the character of The Boy. This isn't the type of film that one can watch without being entirely engaged in the vision on screen; it's a thought-provoking journey into a (hopefully) fictional world.