‎The Rover (2014) directed by David Michôd • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

The Rover

2014 Directed by David Michôd

Fear the man with nothing left to lose.

10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner pursues the men who stole his car through the lawless wasteland of the Australian outback, aided by the brother of one of the thieves.

Guy Pearce Robert Pattinson Scoot McNairy David Field Susan Prior Anthony Hayes Tawanda Manyimo Nash Edgerton Gillian Jones Richard Green Chan Kien Tek Kong Lim

Alternative Titles

漂泊者, 绝命正义, Országúti bosszú, Cesta, Tulák, The Rover: A Caçada, 더 로버, El Cazador

drama crime

103 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Eli Hayes ★★★★½ 20

I'm not sure if I've ever loved Guy Pearce more in a film, and that's coming from someone who owes the onset of his love for cinema to Christopher Nolan's Memento. Robert Pattinson has made a complete career transformation, moving away from the likes of the Harry Potter & Twilight films, and working instead with directors like Michod and Cronenberg (both very talented Davids indeed ;D). I never thought that I'd be saying this, but Edward Cullen is beginning to impress me greatly. This is a film which is certainly carried by its actors, but that's not to say the other aspects of the film aren't stellar as well. The cinematography is outstanding, severals shots and scenes being absolutely breathtaking; Natasha…
Review by Ryan Francis ★★★★★ 9

I'd do the same thing in that situation... if I were as badass and intimidating as Guy Pearce is in this.

I'm a sucker for unflinchingly violent, thoroughly intense, quite harsh and bleak post-apocalyptic films with an awesome lead and a slow-but-steady-burn pace, as well as (in my opinion) some perfect final moments; and The Rover fit the bill perfectly. Wasn't expecting this to become one of my favorite films of the year, and I definitely wasn't expecting to be this impressed by Robert Pattinson.

I'll be checking out David Michôd's other film, Animal Kingdom, very soon.
Review by Eli Hayes ★★★★½ 10

I love David Michod.
I love Guy Pearce.
And Pattinson's best role.
Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★ 4

40/100

Las Vegas Weekly review, in which I had insufficient space to poke holes in the film's idiot plot. To take just the inciting incident, hey bad guys:

(1) Since you stole Pearce's car because you thought your truck was totaled, and can now see that it isn't, why not just give him his fucking car back? Problem solved.

(2) Given that you're not gonna do that, for whatever wonky reason, why not kill this unarmed avenger who seems pretty determined to come after you? Isn't this supposed to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland where life is cheap? Certainly that's the movie's ostensible point.

(3) Given that you're not gonna do that, for the love of motherfucking christ just take the…
Review by Naughty aka Juli Norwood ★★½ 2

That dog don't hunt.. Figuratively and Literally!
Review by davidehrlich ★★★½

THE ROVER (aka "Miffed Max"). a terse and grounded post-apocalyptic exploration of justice – its origins and its ghosts. small but strangely affecting. ends perfectly.

longer thoughts to follow.

Recent reviews

Review by Steve G 💚

Tell me what to watch!

Nominated by Mumbles

An Australian dystopian film and not a single mention of guzzoline? For shame.

I do like myself a bit of a post-apocalyptic film from time to time, even if they never actually make it clear that's what's happened in The Rover. Which I'm fine with because it wouldn't have made any difference to the story if they'd told us one way or the other. Guy Pearce still would have been miserable and Robert Pattinson still a "dimwit".

What I was less fine with is that there just isn't quite enough here for it to fully back up the fine performances from Pearce and Pattinson. I get the idea - there's not really…
Review by thegr8sheens ★★★

The acting is good, and the story was mysterious enough to keep me watching all the way through, but there was little payoff to the whole thing. What drove and motivated any of these characters? The only real clue we get is shown at the end of the movie, and it's so massively underwhelming that it makes you wonder why you even stuck around to see it. But still, up to that point, it wasn't all that bad.
Review by Austin Burgos ★★★½

Give me more movies with Robert Pattinson singing pop songs.
Review by will o ★★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

the joke has to be the dog is named rover, right?
Review by yellozstar ★★

it's not one of my kind of movie, i think its boring even though cinematically it may mean something. i watched for robert pattinson because i'm his number one fan in the world and he's so fucking hot in this movie and also i think he is a great actor his acting was really good in here, i'm so proud of him. anyways i'm glad that i watched because of that scene where robert pattinson sings pretty girl rock from keri hilson he deserves an oscar for that scene, really.
Review by piulinn ★★★

Pattinson in an interview described the film that, "It's very existential. It's really interesting. I couldn't really explain to you what it's about but it's sort of about how much pain can the world take and how much disgust and cruelty before love dies. I think that's kind of what it's about."
:(
Review by piulinn ★★★

would pack more of a punch as a short story but the bleak brutal beauty of it all deserved to be visualised
Review by Luke Lively ★★★½

Robert Pattinson can act, ya'll.

A very moody apocalytic movie. My favourite
Review by Nick Tyczkowski ★★★★

Do the Pretty Girl Rock.