The Rover

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The Rover

R

Released Jun 20, 2014

1h 42m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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.

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Critics Consensus

Fueled by engaging performances from Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, the tension-filled The Rover overcomes its narrative faults through sheer watchability.

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Chris Nashawaty

Entertainment Weekly

Bleak, brutal, and ultimately pointless, the film stars Guy Pearce as a man whose car is stolen and who won't rest until he not only gets it back but also punishes, with extreme prejudice, the dirtbags who took it.

Rated: C-

Dec 3, 2014

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

The Rover equals only sporadically the fraught tension of Michôd's debut, Animal Kingdom (2010), but its horrors feel baked-in and genetic.

Aug 21, 2014

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

That final surprising coda (it surprised this reviewer, anyway) goes some way towards making sense of the whole mad enterprise.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 16, 2014

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Ankit Ojha

Cinema Elite

On paper, it sounds like your everyday revenge drama [...] but writer-director Michôd ensures, from its opening shot to its last second, that the film is anything but.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 9, 2024

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Brendan Cassidy

InSession Film

The Rover has an intriguing story and an incredible central performance, and even has some wonderful direction with a real sense of grit. But the film’s lack of focus between character conflict and setting fails to create a building connection...

Rated: B-

Jun 17, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…with two immersive lead performances, a desolate atmosphere and some gasp-inducing bursts of in-your-face action, The Rover is a thought-provoking minor slice of sci-fi, all the better for keeping the stakes small…

Rated: 3/5

Oct 11, 2023

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Spike D

Bleak, but not in a powerful way à la The Road.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

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prawnda s

theres a lot here. for one, i think that basically every character guy meets is just about the most obnoxious, difficult person they could possibly be. while this does contribute to the atmosphere, it also seems to contribute unnecessarily to the runtime, with a lot of slow and repetitive conversations that do not usually give the audience any more information than they do the protagonist. its still pretty good but i think some parts could have been much better.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

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Joshua R

one of the few genuine blends between action and heartbreak! the movie is hard to watch because of how hard it is at the core but guy Peirce gives one of the best performances of his career as an absolute monster and loyal man of his course, literally a masterpiece if you take the time to take it all in!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

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Audience Member

Decent movie, great characters and postapocaliptic scenery, kinda brutal,

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/15/25

Full Review

Dallas H

"You must really love that car, Darling." And I really enjoyed the tension and tone of the movie. I got a kick out of watching it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/02/25

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Chris B

Bleak, nihilistic, hopeless. It's all been said before, but I would add this is led by two fine actors at the top of their game. The physicality of their damaged gaits I found particularly engaging. It may be too slow moving for some, as features a lot of contemplation. Not an 'action movie' in terms of Mad Max, but certainly a dramatic post apocolyptic thriller which contains well executed action scenes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/05/24

Full Review

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David Michôd

Director

Guy Pearce

Eric

Robert Pattinson

Rey

Scoot McNairy

Henry

David Field

Archie

Anthony Hayes

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Synopsis

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.

Director: David Michôd
Producer: Liz Watts, David Linde, David Michôd
Screenwriter: David Michôd
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Porchlight Films, Lava Bear Films
Rating: R (Some Bloody Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 20, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 23, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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