It’s puzzling to me that I haven’t heard more about The Rover. This Australian thriller has a number of notable actors (Robert Pattinson, Guy Pearce and Scoot McNairy) and looks and feels like a major motion picture. I remember seeing the trailer a while ago and being excited about it primarily because I thought it would be a good chance for Pattinson to prove that he is actually quite talented (and hopefully break away from that Twilight notoriety). Unfortunately, The Rover kind of fizzled away and only ever received a limited theatrical run (and is actually now available to purchase on home media). If there is one word I can use to describe The Rover, it’s “bleak”. This movie is incredibly dreary and down-beat but manages to tell a very bare bones story that is set in an intriguing, terrifying dystopian future.
The Rover is incredibly deceptive in its simplicity. At the beginning of the film, a man name Eric (Guy Pearce) drives up to a house, sits down to have a drink and is stirred when a truck suddenly crashes outside into a pile of garbage. Three men are in the truck and they quickly exit the vehicle and take off with Eric’s car. Eric instantly starts after the three men in a quest to get his car back. Along the way he teams up with Reynolds (played by Robert Pattinson) who is revealed to be the brother of one of the men who stole the car. The rest of the film is the pursuit of this car and a quiet exploration of who these people are and what the status of the world at large might be.
Did I mention that this movie is set in a quasi-post-apocalyptic world where capitalism has crumbled and the remaining popular is desolate and left to live without meaning or context? The Rover is a bleak, terrifying movie that explores the actions of a group of people who have nothing left to lose. Overall, this movie is about a guy who wants his car back (although there ends up being a bit more to it in the end). It’s a hot, sweaty, sun-soaked movie that gives hints and nudges at what may have happened to cause the world to be so desperate. The plot itself is very minimalistic and almost skeletal, but it really fits in with this lonely setting. With such a meandering group of characters it only makes sense that they grasp at any meaning that they can kind. That’s what was so excellent about this film, it’s sense of starkness and how oddly plausible it all seems. However, I can see how a lot of people might be bored by this film or turned off by how dark it is. The Rover is not an action movie and doesn’t pretend to be, it can be very slow and contemplative at times.
Another outstanding element in this film are the performances. Pearce and Pattinson work very well together and get to explore their characters very thoroughly throughout the film’s runtime. Pattinson dons an extremely thick southern-American accent which can be difficult to understand at times but he fully embodies this lowly, simple man who seems to be entirely dependent on others to take care of him. Pearce portrays absolute emptiness brilliantly. He is a man with nothing to lose and who will do anything (including kill anybody who gets in his way) to get what he wants. If the dry, simple plot doesn’t move quickly enough for you it won’t be hard to be impressed by the performances in this movie. I should also add that The Rover has an effective score that utilizes droning instruments and drawn out musical notes to heighten tension and soak the already bleak movie with an even deeper sense of hopelessness.
So it probably sounds like I’m gushing over this movie, and I sort of am but that doesn’t mean I think it’s a truly great film. As much as I enjoyed The Rover, it definitely isn’t the most original or genre-bending film I’ve seen either. It definitely borrows heavily from films such as No Country for Old Men, The Road and even Mad Max. As great as the setting is, I can see this film’s pacing being a big issue for a lot of people. The Rover is incredibly well acted, cleverly constructed in how it presents the world, and quite gorgeous (in look and sound). I really liked this movie and am still a little surprised that it didn’t receive more attention. I definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for a very intense movie but be warned, I won’t be surprised if a lot of people walk away from this feeling bored or confused as to what the point of such a bleak film may be.
8/10
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