Arlington Road (1999)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A widowed professor becomes obsessed with uncovering a terrorist plot orchestrated by his new neighbors.
The story
Michael Faraday, a history professor at George Washington University, lives in Reston, Virginia, with his young son Grant following the death of his wife, an FBI agent. After meeting his new neighbors, Oliver and Cheryl Lang, Michael becomes increasingly suspicious of Oliver's anti-government sentiments and his interest in Leah's death. Despite his girlfriend Brooke's concerns that he is becoming paranoid, Michael begins to investigate the Langs, discovering suspicious blueprints and lies about Oliver's past. His obsession grows as he tries to protect his son from the potential threat posed by his neighbors.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Michael Faraday, a history professor in Reston, Virginia, suspects his new neighbors, Oliver and Cheryl Lang, are involved in terrorism. While Michael investigates, he discovers Oliver is actually William Fenimore, a man with a criminal past who assumed a dead friend's identity. Oliver reveals his group's plan to attack the J. Edgar Hoover Building. After Brooke is killed in a car accident and Michael realizes Oliver has kidnapped his son Grant, Michael attempts to intervene. He discovers he has been manipulated into driving a bomb to the target in his own vehicle. The bomb detonates, destroying the FBI headquarters. Michael and his friend Whit are killed, and the Langs successfully frame Michael as a lone wolf terrorist, just as they had done with a previous victim, Dean Scobee. It is revealed the Langs had chosen Faraday as their patsy from the beginning.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mark Pellington
- Writers
- Ehren Kruger · writer; Ehren Kruger · script
- Cast and characters
- Jeff Bridges; Tim Robbins; Joan Cusack; Hope Davis; Robert Gossett
- Genres
- neo-noir; mystery; thriller; crime; drama
- Themes
- Terrorism; Paranoia; Miscarriage of Justice; Widowhood; Government Surveillance
- Tone and mood
- Suspenseful; Neo-noir; Dark
- Premise and plot tags
- Mystery; Thriller; Crime; Drama; Neo-noir
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, holding a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 65 out of 100 on Metacritic. Audiences gave it a 'B−' on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 63% · review count: 92
- Production trivia
- The film was heavily inspired by the 1990s concerns regarding the right-wing militia movement, Ruby Ridge, the Waco siege and Oklahoma City bombing.; The film's United States distribution rights were sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment for $6 million.; A television series adaptation was announced in development in April 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…