The Rover is an Australian film, which released in 2014. The movie displays the chaotic aftermath of a global economic collapse from the eyes of Eric (Guy Pearce), a former soldier who has lost everything. He has one prized possession left to his name, which happens to be his vehicle. Of course, even that sentimental item will soon be pulled from his grasp, which sets the plot of the movie.

A group of criminals, Archie (David Field), Henry (Scoot McNairy) and Caleb (Tawanda Manymo), attempt to pull off a major robbery. Of course, things go sour, which leaves Henry’s brother, Rey (Robert Pattinson) laying in a pool of his own blood. When the criminals make their getaway, they crash their vehicle, which becomes stuck in the sand. They make the fatal mistake of stealing Eric’s prized vehicle.

Eric is able to get the criminal’s truck unstuck and use it to track them down. His attempt to recover his vehicle is futile, as he is left unconscious on the ground. Meanwhile, Rey is wounded, but not dead. He makes his way towards the closest city, where he eventually runs into Eric, who has acquired a gun. Since Rey questions Eric about his brother’s truck, Eric sees the opportunity to use Rey to track down his brother.

Over the course of the movie, Eric will save Rey and Rey will save Eric, as the pair eventually develop a somewhat meaningful bond. As the pair get closer to Henry and the gang, they’ve developed into an unlikely team, which has a common goal. Will Eric recover his prized vehicle? Is Rey stringing Eric along or will he prove to be valuable in Eric’s quest? Why exactly is Eric so intent on recovering his vehicle? Does an inanimate object really hold such control over Eric?

Review


Overall, the movie hit some high points, but it was not without flaws. The bleak atmosphere, which was wonderfully set in the Australian outback, is enhanced by a strange, but effective soundtrack, which seemed to pierce the brain. At the same time, the movie’s pace was excellent and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

However, the film was anything, but flawless. Guy Pearce played the role of an unhinged, relentless ex-solider immaculately. As for Robert Pattinson, I couldn’t get a read on the character. At times, Rey seemed slightly slow, but other times he seemed just fine. Still, he was slightly more interesting than his counterpart. However, it was difficult to connect with either. The film failed to develop any real reasons to care for either one of the character’s livelihoods.

If you can get past the silly premise and can overlook the lack of emotional connection to either of the main characters, you should enjoy the bleak atmosphere and sounds of the film. Overall, the movie deserves a 6.5 out of 10.