TL;DR – A powerful meditation on the intersection of masculinity and loneliness.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to see this film

Warning – This film contains scenes that may cause distress.

The Rooster Review –

Loneliness and masculinity are two intersecting topics that are important to explore, but I rarely see it done well. I think it is challenging to have honest conversations about this topic when we still live in a world where mental health is seen as a taboo topic. Whatever the case, I am glad that the film we are exploring today is taking the time to jump into this topic.

So to set the scene, we open with Dan (Phoenix Raei), who is tormented by the same dream every night. He lives alone in a forested rural region of Victoria and is one of the town’s only police officers. His is a quiet life, only punctuated by the struggle to feed the rooster each morning who only wants to attack Dan. However, this peaceful life is ripped asunder when his friend Steve’s (Rhys Mitchell) body is found. This is a fulcrum moment, leaving Dan unable to cope with the world. But as he tries to drink his sorrows away, he discovers a Hermit (Hugo Weaving) living alone in the forest who might be a kindred spirit with a ping-pong table.  

The Rooster is a film you can tell is deeply personal work for the writer/director and the cast. There is a mood that permeates the movie as gum trees creak above. Part of this stems from the setting in the deep forests full of mist and longing, where you need a crackling fire to fight away the coming cold of night. Then, there is the choice to have the musical score be entirely definitions of the human voice, which creates an ethereal intimacy to the proceedings.

What makes this movie work as well as it does is the commitment of the cast to throw their all into this production. Hugo Weaving is a tsunami of emotions and cursing, a perfect combination for a performance that is equal parts humorous, offensive, and sympathetic. Phoenix Raei has the strength to hold his own against such an onslaught while also exploring his character’s own trauma. For much of the film, it is only them on screen, and there is nowhere to hide, and that is what makes such raw and powerful performances land as well as they did.

Now, I should be clear that The Rooster is dealing with some weighty subject material in and around abuse and loss. There is a reason I have that warning up top. While it can get a bit too esoteric sometimes, it primarily attacks the topics head-on, which I appreciated. I was also surprised just how much humour there was throughout the film, and not always gallows humour as well.

The film explores two different people, almost two people who are polar opposites apart. However, they find kindred spirits in each other because they respond to a deep and profound loss by isolating themselves from the world. They have not had the time to properly process their emotions before they act and withdraw from the world. For the Hermit, that was the start and end of his grieving process. Their bond is at the heart of the film and is what makes it so profound. They strip everything away so only the core remains.

In the end, do we recommend The Rooster? To be clear, this is not an easy film to watch sometimes, and that uncomfortableness is purposeful. However, it is a stunning exploration of the trauma of loss. Both actors give their all in every scene, and their performances brought me to tears on many occasions. If nothing else, their recommendations about toasted cheese sandwiches are sound. If you liked The Rooster, we would recommend to you The Eight Mountains.           

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Rooster
Directed by – Mark Leonard Winter
Written by – Mark Leonard Winter 
Music by – Stefan Gregory
Cinematography by – Craig Barden
Edited by – Cameron Ford
Production/Distribution Companies – Thousand Mile Productions & Bonsai Films
Starring – Phoenix Raei, Hugo Weaving, John Waters & Rhys Mitchell with Jane Montgomery Griffiths, Natasha Herbert, Quinn Le Fevre, Robert Menzies, Deidre Rubenstein, Tom Stokes & Helen Thomson
Rating – Around an Australia: MA15+