MovieChat Forums > The Rover (2014) Discussion > What do you get from films like this, or...

What do you get from films like this, or 'The Road'?


Just seen this. It reminded me of The Road, another ultra-bleak post-apocalypse movie of recent times, which coincidentally also features Guy Pierce. In terms of sheer bleakness I was also reminded of Blue Ruin (2013).

This was compelling, but I can't say I'm in a hurry to watch it or The Road again because they are so hopeless and bleak. I'm interested to know what people think the value of such movies like this is. Do you re-watch them? Do you "enjoy" them in the conventional sense of the word? Other than confirming the utterly base animal instincts that would likely be drawn out of humans in these kind of situations, what messages of value can they have? Or could you enjoy something like this over again just for minimalist, nihilistic aesthetic value?

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It is hard to say, I am a bleak pragmatic nihilist personally but I also have a soft spot for well fleshed out developed words in stories especially if it is Australia (I am an Aussie) and post apocalyptica/ societal collapse.

The Rovers world is very rich and dense but there is next to no exposition but just from the actions, the scenery, peoples words, the people themselves, the dogs to the armed train it all told a tale of a once great country broken and hopeless with people fighting for scraps while the more powerful pillage and carry on irregardless of the struggles of the everyman in the ruins.

And yes I tend to revisit these films and I do have them both on Blu Ray.

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I do have a lot of respect for film makers that have the bravery to make well-crafted things like The Rover which are never destined to make much money or fame! I am drawn to seeing them once at least, but I just couldn't "enjoy" watching them more than once. I have a certain amount of nihilistic attitudes myself but maybe that's partly the reason I don't want or need them confirmed by movies and music etc

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Just seen this. It reminded me of The Road, another ultra-bleak post-apocalypse movie of recent times, which coincidentally also features Guy Pierce. In terms of sheer bleakness I was also reminded of Blue Ruin (2013).

This was compelling, but I can't say I'm in a hurry to watch it or The Road again because they are so hopeless and bleak. I'm interested to know what people think the value of such movies like this is. Do you re-watch them? Do you "enjoy" them in the conventional sense of the word? Other than confirming the utterly base animal instincts that would likely be drawn out of humans in these kind of situations, what messages of value can they have? Or could you enjoy something like this over again just for minimalist, nihilistic aesthetic value?


I do enjoy such movies, but not in the same way I do, for example, comic book movies. It's a different kind of enjoyment, one where I get immersed into the depressing, haunting and bleak story and the trials our characters are going through.

Film to me are the is the ultimate expression of art. Many people, if not most, would find movies like this or The Road to be too overwhelming for their senses and not entertaining, but I watch movies to escape and immerse myself into the world that has been created. Post-apocalyptic movies when done right are some of the captivating and haunting movies you will ever see if you are fan of such a genre.

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Oddly Enough there is entertaining boredom, with The Road it actually fits into more of the characters stories as lets face it walking around a ruined nation on a dying planet there is going to be long periods of nothing much at all happening but for me I found that it worked with the story.

Star Trek the motion picture is a similar style of entertaining boring film.

Keep in mind very few people would appreciate things like this and I think it takes a certain personality type and specific appreciation of things to find "Boring" fascinating.

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I didn't think it was like The Road, Rover doesn't seem to have much in common with it... and it wasn't bleak or depressing, it was exciting. Yeah, probably that's what I get from such films, excitement.



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Great question: Nothing.Nada.Zero.

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