The Rover

Ten years after a global collapse, law and order have become scarce and survival is cheap. Eric is a solitary drifter whose car is his main anchor in a ruined landscape. When a gang steals that car, he discovers Rey, badly wounded and left behind in the wake of the theft. The two men form a wary partnership born of need rather than trust. They drift through decaying towns and sunburned highways, watching each other for weakness while trying to stay one step ahead of danger. Their uneasy bond deepens through moments of mercy and quiet loyalty, even as violence and suspicion linger in every corner of a world that seems to have forgotten mercy. The heat, wind and dust feel present in every frame, shaping the men as much as the terrain.

Directed by David Michod, The Rover comes from an original screenplay by Joel Edgerton and Duncan Thomson. It premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was released to audiences later that year, marketed as a tense character study rather than a conventional thriller, in limited release before expanding.

Awards: The Rover drew critical attention at Australian film awards, earning nominations for screenplay and performances and earning praise for its restrained craft and the way it uses landscape and silence to heighten tension.

Cultural impact: Robert Pattinson's turn away from blockbuster franchises to this austere Australian crime drama helped reshape perceptions of his range, and the film is now cited for its austere mood, controlled pacing, and influence on later minimalist thrillers set in desolate landscapes.

Reception and themes: Critics praised the film for its mood, performances, and its tight, morally gray portrait of survival. It examines loyalty, coercion and power in a shattered world, focusing on the uneasy dependency that forms between two men who must rely on each other to endure.