THE ROVER Trailer
David Michôd’s upcoming drama The Rover looks, in a word, bleak. Set ten years after a global economic collapse, The Rover tells the story of Eric (Guy Pearce) an embittered ex-solider hellbent on tracking down the gang who stole his car – the last of his worldly possessions. Along the dusty path to retribution, Eric encounters Reynolds (Robert Pattinson), the discarded brother of one of the gang members. With Reynolds in tow, Eric sets off across the lawless Australian outback to recover what he’s lost.
Michôd’s breakout hit, 2010’s critically acclaimed Animal Kingdom, featured graphic, brutal violence, and it appears that the trend will continue here – according to buzz form the Cannes Film Festival, where the film first premiered, The Rover is not for the faint of heart. I suppose when the trailer draws from W.B. Yeats’ poem The Second Coming, you shouldn’t expect breezy entertainment.
Given that he’s so often cast as in American or British roles, it’s refreshing to hear Guy Pearce speaking in his native accent. Conversely, it’s awfully strange to hear Robert Pattinson‘s attempt at a southern American drawl. My exposure to Robert Pattinson has been mostly limited to films of the sparkly vampire variety, so I’ll be interested to see how well he stands up to Pearce.
The arid landscape and Australian lead have drawn comparison to the Mad Max films but I can’t help but be reminded of another of Pearce’s films: 2009’s The Road (based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name.) Both films showcase a post-apocalyptic world that is only a few degrees separated from our own: a world where the primary threat is not a virus or extra-terrestrials or the undead, but the brutality of mankind when unfettered by societal constraints. The main character in each film could be described, as in The Rover’s tagline, as a “man with nothing left to lose.” What makes The Road so significant isn’t what the protagonist has lost, but what he’s trying to save. Similarly, the lasting impact of The Rover will be determined by its ability to scrape some sort of human insight from the bloody hardpan.
The Rover is set for release on June 20 in the United States and August 15 in the U.K. Find release dates for other countries here.
What’s your favorite post-apocalyptic film? Do you have high hopes for The Rover?
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
