The Rover

Year: 2014
Director: David Michod
Cast: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy


Plot: Set in Australia ten years after a global economic collapse, a man pursues three men who stole his car. A young man, who is a former accomplice and brother to one of those men, is his only lead to finding them.


Review: This film is set in the Australian outback ten years after a global economic collapse (the cause is untold) and begins with Eric, a quiet man but not to be messed with. His car, his only possession, is stolen by three men who crash their truck nearby. Eric pursues them but loses them after a confrontation. He then runs into Rey, brother to one of the men whom they left behind, and forces him to lead the way to where they're headed.

Director David Michod, who co-wrote the screenplay with well known actor Joel Edgerton, presents what might look like a road trip film, but is more of a character study mixed with a futuristic western. Credit must be given to the production designers for creating a convincing look of the dusty and lawless outback, where deserts and highways stretch for miles, and nearly everyone carries a firearm. 

The film is mainly carried by Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson as Eric and Rey respectively. Pearce is awesome here, giving Eric a potent mix of intensity and desperation, with a quiet demeanor on the surface. He is a man of few words, but Pearce makes every moment on screen count. Pattinson is great as well, being a character which is not like Edward Cullen at all. Rey is a somewhat simple-minded young man who constantly tries to connect with Eric, but doesn't quite succeed. The duo seem to be moving together out of mutual need more than anything else, which makes for fascinating occurrences.

The film however suffers from a slow pace, which might be taxing for those who have a problem with waiting for something to happen. Any questions regarding social and economical themes are not focused on here, though it was probably what Michod wanted as he explores his two lead characters throughout the film.

Overall, The Rover is quite a gem of a movie, but a flawed one. It does answer one question at the end: why does Eric want his car back so badly? (3.5/5)