The great thing about being a movies and series nut, is that I constantly discover new filmmakers to follow. One of these promising prospects is David Michôd, whose work I was first introduced to through the brilliant and gritty Animal Kingdom (2010).
Michôd subsequently made a couple of high-profile pics for Netflix but somehow, I never got round to watching his second feature film The Rover (2014). I corrected that significant oversight recently, and must say that I am kicking myself for not having watched this gem immediately upon release.
Co-written by frequent Michôd collaborator Joel Edgerton – who you might not know is also a pretty awesome screenwriter – The Rover grips its unsuspecting viewer by the throat from the very first frame.
An association with the Mad Max films is easily made – post-apocalyptic Australian setting, dangerous drifters roaming the wasteland, and high-speed car chases right off the bat. Hell, several characters are even wielding the same shotgun as “Mad” Max Rockatansky.
But The Rover is more than just an homage to George Miller’s classic. Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson star in an eerie, unsettling Crime-Thriller with SciFi elements that genuinely burrows under your skin and then stays there.
Pattinson in particular is formidable. I didn’t care for The Batman (2022) – and that’s just my opinion, obviously many people did like it so I’m not in any way stating that it is a bad film – but his performance in The Rover proved to me personally that he is truly a uniquely accomplished actor.
The Rover is a pretty bleak film that ponders existentialism and even nihilism, so it definitely won’t be everyone’s pint of Foster’s. But if you are in the mood for something other than men and women in tights someday – and consider yourself a dog lover – seek this one out.
Solid recommend.
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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict