The Rover

Set 10 years after a global economic collapse, The Rover follows Guy Pearce’s grizzled, uncompromising Eric as he embarks on a quest to recover his automobile after it’s stolen by a trio of squabbling criminals – with Eric’s quest eventually aided by a simple-minded figure named Rey (Robert Pattinson). David Michôd does a superb job of immediately luring the viewer into the spare narrative, as the filmmaker kicks the proceedings off with an electrifying sequence that effectively establishes the movie’s gritty atmosphere – with the captivating vibe heightened by Michôd’s striking directorial choices and Pearce’s tough, engrossing performance. The lack of context or character development isn’t immediately problematic as a result, and yet there does reach a point at which the viewer begins to crave something in the realm of background information – with the movie developing an increasingly palpable hands-off feel as it progresses into its slow, uneventful midsection. This is despite a periodic inclusion of admittedly spellbinding interludes (eg Eric tells a story about his wife) and it’s clear, too, that the movie’s uninvolving vibe is compounded by Pattinson’s striking yet frequently unintelligible turn as the dimwitted Rey. The tense, electrifying stretch that closes the film ensures that The Rover finishes on a decidedly positive note, which ultimately does secure the movie’s place as an erratic but rewarding art-house thriller.

*** out of ****