The Rooster

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The Rooster

2023

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Dan, an introverted police officer in a small country town, begins to unravel after he fails to follow police protocol when dealing with an incident involving his childhood friend Steve. The next day, Steve's body is found in the bush, buried in a shallow grave. Unfit to work and haunted by guilt, Dan spirals. When his pet rooster is killed by a fox, Dan lets go of the fragile tether he has on his sanity and retreats to camp out in the forest where Steve was found. After a chance encounter with an eccentric hermit living amongst the trees, Dan suspects that this man may have been the last person to see Steve alive. As Dan seeks answers, an unusual bond forms between the two men over games of table tennis. But all is not as it seems when Dan discovers that the hermit may have been responsible for a terrible act of violence.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

02/29/2024

2/5

There are glimmers of filmmaking promise in The Rooster, but it’s overwrought, often clumsy, and only shakily conscious of its absurd side.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

02/17/2024

3.5/5

This film is an intelligent, thoughtful debut from an actor turned director.

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Luke Buckmaster

Guardian

08/09/2023

3/5

As a “Hugo Weaving goes feral in the bush” movie, The Rooster delivers. As an exploration of masculinity and a drama about two men connecting, it’s decent but unexceptional.

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Peter Gray

The AU Review

05/08/2024

3.5/5

Navigates its meditation on masculinity with dark humour and uncomfortable fragility

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David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

02/26/2024

5/5

One of the most important films ever made about men's mental health. An amazing script well delivered by it's two leads who are in career best form. Mark Leonard Winter is a director to watch.

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Jim Schembri

jimschembri.com

02/21/2024

2/5

Strong on atmosphere but [the film] suffers from a narrative that places eccentricity over story...Weaving delivers some good moments but the film runs long and the third act is rushed.

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Jeepers C

@RT12312147 May 15

This is a really different movie on mental health. The actors did an incredible job, but this will not be everyone's favorite movie. You must have patience to see it through to the end.It is a really off kilter movie. A cop meets a drunken hermit living in the woods,that might have killed his family. He bonds with him, and must come face to face with unraveling the secrets that remain between them.

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R B

@Augustweest Mar 9

86% ? I love most HBO programming because it’s almost always a guarantee. Here is rushed and less than seamless editing, overdubbing is off, heavy lean on cliche tropes for characters, silly (not in a good way) forced dialogue , over soundtracked and that is just to the 8 minute mark. Unbelievable is how I describe the interactions depicted. Maybe it gets better? This is not HBO quality though the actors are all great just not utilized correctly.

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Mind F

@RT52308241 01/29/2025

personal opinion - 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

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Mark Leonard Winter

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Dan

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Synopsis

Dan, an introverted police officer in a small country town, begins to unravel after he fails to follow police protocol when dealing with an incident involving his childhood friend Steve. The next day, Steve's body is found in the bush, buried in a shallow grave. Unfit to work and haunted by guilt, Dan spirals. When his pet rooster is killed by a fox, Dan lets go of the fragile tether he has on his sanity and retreats to camp out in the forest where Steve was found. After a chance encounter with an eccentric hermit living amongst the trees, Dan suspects that this man may have been the last person to see Steve alive. As Dan seeks answers, an unusual bond forms between the two men over games of table tennis. But all is not as it seems when Dan discovers that the hermit may have been responsible for a terrible act of violence.

Director: Mark Leonard Winter
Producer: Geraldine Hakewill, Mahveen Shahraki.M
Screenwriter: Mark Leonard Winter, Mark Leonard Winter
Production Co: Thousand Mile Production
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 41m