FeatureR2011·118m·7.0

This Must Be the Place

A former rockstar is hunting down a Nazi criminal. This could be his greatest hit.

Drama

A bored, retired rock star living in Ireland sets out to find his dead father's tormentor, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.

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Cast

Sean Penn

Cheyenne

Olwen Fouéré

Mary's Mother

Eve Hewson

Mary

Johnny Ward

Steven

Sam Keeley

Desmond

Danielle O'Brien

Supermarket Girl #1

Margaret O'Reilly

Supermarket Girl #2

Frances McDormand

Jane

Mairin O'Donovan

Old Lady in Bank

Simon Delaney

Jeffrey

Jer O'Leary

Old Man in Cemetary

Master Deng

Chinese Tai Chi Teacher

Jane Myers

Jeffrey's Girlfriend

Heather Fedyk

Elevator Woman #1

Iris Frank

Elevator Woman #2

Andrea Mellos

Elevator Woman #3

Sarab Kamoo

Elevator Woman #4 (as Sara Kamoo)

Sarah Carroll

Woman on Ship

Liron Levo

Richard

Bill Hoffinger

Funeral Elderly Man

Details

Status
Released
Original language
English
Languages
English
Budget
$25.0M
Revenue
$11.8M
Age rating
R
Quality
4K UHD · HDR10 · Dolby Vision
Production
Indigo FilmLucky RedMedusa FilmElement PicturesARP SélectionFrance 2 Cinéma

Crew

Director

Paolo Sorrentino

Writers

Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contarello

Cristiano Travaglioli

Editor

David Byrne

Original Music Composer

Luca Bigazzi

Director of Photography

Stefania Cella

Production Design

Karen Patch

Costume Design

Will Oldham

Original Music Composer

Gallery

Reviews

Wuchak

6/27/2026

7.0

**_Penn as a soft-spoken Socrates-like retired Goth rocker, not to mention Nazi hunter_** His character is named Cheyenne, a weirdo-genius modeled after Robert Smith of The Cure with a dash of Ozzy and Edward Scissorhands. CC DeVille with a black wig is another comparison. Meanwhile, the band ‘Cheyenne and the Fellows’ was inspired by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Cheyenne is 20 years past his prime but is able to live off royalties in Dublin with his firefighter wife (Frances McDormand). While he’s sorta bottled up and fears flying, he’s compelled to take a sojourn to America due to his dying Jewish father and attend to his unfinished business. As he travels from state-to-state he unconsciously helps others, as well as personally grows. Highlights include: Cheyenne’s curious friendship with a young female that people mistake for his daughter (Eve Hewson); his softly spoken insights, which show that he’s in tune more than most, except when he talks with David Byrne and vents his buried issues; his brief relationship with a woman & her boy in rural New Mexico (Kerry Condon) and his corresponding respect for marital parameters. This is just a taste of the gems in this quirky, lyrical oddity. There are a couple of issues, however, such as the insinuation that smoking cigarettes is a sign of majority. I would offer that it’s a sign of nicotine addiction and folly, even immaturity. Then there’s the dubious closing message, which I’ll leave for you to discover. The eccentric flick’s not for everyone, but if you appreciate movies like “Easy Rider,” “Paris, Texas,” “Buffalo '66,” “Almost Famous” and “The Lucky Ones,” it’s worth checking out. It runs 1h 51m and was shot Aug-Oct 2010 in Ireland (Dublin,); Michigan (Bad Axe, Ubly, Kinde and Sterling Heights); and New Mexico (Bingham, Alamogordo, Carrizozo, Eagle Nest, Red River and Questa). Post-production work was done in Rome. GRADE: B/B-