David Michôd brings the viewers a dry and brutal world, years after the political and economic system of Australia has collapsed and how it fuels the rage and determination of a man out to get back his stolen car, the only possession he had, with a very unlikely companion.
Plot: When the truck, carrying three troublemaking men, Archie, Caleb, and Henry, is racing away from a shooting scene, it takes a tumble and gets stuck outside the bar where Eric had come. As the three men try to run away as soon as they can, they leave behind Henry’s brother, Rey, who was shot and breaks into Eric’s car and drives away. When Eric realizes who Rey is, he uses him to hunt down the thieves of his car and form a strange and unexpected bonding with the thief’s brother who himself is also looking for the reason his only brother left him to die.
The story of these two men in the dusty, rugged world is entirely devoid of any warmth or romance. Pattinson and Pearce have both given such raw and powerful performances that the reflection of their losses and their despair will seem very close and real to the viewers. They both had a such an awkward, violent and a deep chemistry that gave a whole different dimension to the world where things like love and compassion seemed never to have existed.
It does not focus on the disruptive breakdown of the society but aims at the result of it, which led to the world where the desperation to survive has reached unimaginable levels. The cinematography of vast expanses of barren and sparse land, and the grim, dull, yet cruel sun, set the kind of parched mood that the movie is trying to reflect in its story. The movie will not seek to dilute any instance or any aspect of the characters, but try to show you the real picture of the crude world that we are yet to face and for what we need to prepare ourselves.
Verdict: To this heart-breaking story of two broken individuals who are the only ones there to support each other in their journeys, I give this movie 4 out of 5 victories.