THE 1989 MOVIE Road House has long held a reputation as the kind of movie that’s so bad it’s good. No matter how ironic the enjoyment taken from rewatching such a movie, that kind of cultural longevity means one thing: a remake was inevitable. And now Road House (2024) is here, starring a ripped Jake Gyllenhaal in the leading role.
This new interpretation of the story makes some changes, toning down some of the sillier elements that would absolutely fly in an ’80s flick destined to be rewatched on VHS but might give modern streaming audiences pause. Like, for instance, the very idea that Patrick Swayze’s Dalton is a bouncer so good at bouncing that his reputation spans bars across the country, and proprietors can call on him when they need help.
In 1989, that premise made Road House one cape short of a superhero movie, but in 2024, the setup is (slightly, only ever so slightly) more realistic: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dalton is an MMA fighter who has fallen on hard times, and takes a job protecting the patrons of a bar in the Florida Keys from a marauding biker gang.
From that point on, the plot takes a back seat in order to make way for a series of lengthy, elaborately choreographed, pretty damn brutal fight sequences, as Dalton goes to war with a corrupt cohort of mobsters—including the enforcer Knox, played with sneering relish by real-life UFC fighter (and controversial casting choice) Conor McGregor.
Is Road House on streaming?
Road House had its world premiere at SXSW on March 8 and was released digitally on March 21. As an Amazon MGM Studios movie, it is streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
And as a bonus, just in case you feel like planning a double feature, the original Road House (1989) is also available to watch on Prime.