In the near future, mankind's greed and excesses have pushed civilization to the breaking point. Society is in decline, and the rule of law has disintegrated. Hardened drifter Eric (Guy Pearce) wanders across this dangerous and desolate landscape. When thieves steal Eric's car -- and only remaining possession -- they leave behind Rey (Robert Pattinson), a wounded comrade. Eric forces Rey to help him hunt down the gang in an unrelenting quest to take back the one thing that matters to him.
The Rover is a bleak post-apocalyptic crime-drama. Directed by David Michôd, and starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, the film takes place 10 years after "the collapse" and looks a few years shy of Mad Max territory. The aesthetics of the film are drab and gritty and look like they had some influence on the visual direction of James Mangold's 2017 film, Logan.
What is striking about the film is the simplicity of it all. Eric (Guy Pearce) has his car stolen and he spends the film trying to track it down again. A very basic plot, that only manages to drive the film forward because of the dystopian post-societal setting that the characters are within. This setting keeps tensions high, with a distinct lack of law bringing the true nature of mankind to the forefront. Unfiltered, selfish actions and behaviours occur without penalisation or opposition.
This is definitely a film that you need to watch when you are alert and awake; despite how exciting the initial 20 minutes of the film are, The Rover is definitely a drama, not a thriller. It is one of the slowest of slow-burns, which is compounded by Eric's personality traits. With a distinct dislike of conversation and a very strict one-track mind, Eric's stubborn attitude and uncooperative nature do him no favours.
Even though his character has an aversion to talking more than necessary--his character is a traditional strong but silent type--Guy Pearce puts on an incredibly expressive performance. You don't need him to explain things to know that the man is tired, beatdown, and has nothing left to lose. This is the complete opposite of Robert Pattinson's character, Rey, a talkative young man who shows signs of slight mental disabilities with his slurred southern US accent. It is the interactions between Rey and Eric that both slows the pace of the film almost completely, and manages to bring humanity to the characters that live in a world with no value for human life.
Perhaps one of the more out-of-place elements of the film is the score and soundtrack. Often using dissonant, fuzzy, and abrasive noises, the sound is often messy and intrusive, not allowing any peace as Eric's mission progresses. The soundtrack is especially peculiar at a certain point later in the film in a scene with Pattinson's Rey, where he sings along with a song on the radio. Again this choice feels misplaced, and inappropriate for the tone that the director had set up.
The Rover has some gorgeous cinematography, which--as you would expect to be the case after the collapse of civilisation--uses as much natural light as possible. It creates a huge disparity between many of the internal and external shots but pushes the idea that the luxuries and infrastructure that we are accustomed to, are no longer available. As this is not a thriller, the editing of the scenes is reserved and subtle too, making good use of long shots.
Pearce and Pattinson make a great ensemble, and The Rover certainly entertains as long as you aren't expecting a fast-paced thriller. There is definitely a little bit of lazy writing where the characters are providing exposition in dialogue rather than showing the backstory in the film, but any answers to questions posed, are left until the final act; the intrigue and tension helping to keep engagement high.