The Rover

4The Rover is the kind of Australian film that feels like it has red dust in its veins. Set in a bleak near-future Outback where society hasn't quite collapsed but definitely isn't returning anyone's calls, the story follows a hard, stubborn loner played by Guy Pearce as he relentlessly tracks down the men who stole his car. Along the way he's saddled with an injured and bewildered companion played by Robert Pattinson, creating one of the strangest buddy pairings you'll ever see.

This isn't a post-apocalyptic action movie in the traditional sense. There are no heroic speeches, no grand missions and very little interest in making anyone look cool. Instead, The Rover unfolds with a quiet intensity, finding humanity in a landscape that seems determined to grind it into dust. Pearce is ferocious, Pattinson delivers one of the best performances of his career, and director David Michôd keeps everything simmering with tension. Bleak, darkly funny and uniquely Australian, The Rover is a road movie for people who think most road trips could use a little more existential dread.