One of our favorite films of the summer is David Michod’s “The Rover” starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. It’s a completely stark and austere tale of a man hell bent on retrieving what is his, by any means necessary. But remember, it’s not quite post-apocalyptic. “It’s post-catastrophic economic collapse!” Michod stressed in a recent Reddit AMA. Got that? Our review described it as “bleak and compelling… it shows Michôd can work with other genres and textures, and still make a film that is unmistakably his, and that is how auteurs are made.”
If you don’t believe us, it’s received a striking endorsement from Quentin Tarantino and he compares it to a post-economic collapse classic. “A mesmerizing, visionary achievement. The best post-apocalyptic movie since the original ‘Mad Max.’ With the one-two punch of The Rover & Animal Kingdom, David Michôd proves himself to be the most uncompromising director of his generation.”
The movie opens in wide release this weekend, so naturally, A24 has released some new elements including some new photos, a new featurette and a clip of Guy Pearce talking about his character. “The Rover” has spent a week in limited release and goes nationwide on Friday. Here’s our in-depth interview with David Michod which you should check out too. “The Rover” is a grower too. If it doesn’t strike you immediately, let it simmer and don’t be surprised when it sinks its gnarly claws into your heard in a way you can’t escape.
