The Rooster (2023) by Mark Leonard Winter: A Quiet Reckoning with Isolation

Short Summary: Isolation Cracks Under Grief

Dan is a solitary country cop in regional Victoria, living quietly with his chickens. After botching an incident involving his troubled childhood friend Steve—who turns up dead—Dan spirals. The murder of his pet rooster becomes a breaking point, leading him into the forest. There he meets a volatile hermit, and their unlikely bond over ping-pong and shared trauma begins to scratch at the surface of Dan’s grief.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21336930/

Link Review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/aug/08/the-rooster-review-film-hugo-weaving-phoenix-raei-mark-leonard-winter

About movie: https://www.yellowaffair.com/the-rooster

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-rooster-2024 (US), https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/the-rooster-2024 (Australia)

Detailed Summary: From Rooster to Bond, Loss to Connection

• Shattered Order Dan’s life is steady until the death of Steve ignites guilt and trauma. The accidental killing of his own rooster feels like symbolic eradication of everything that grounded him.

• Retreat into the Wild Severed from routine, Dan retreats into the bush where Steve’s body was found. In nature’s hush, he encounters the hermit—a man as frayed and unmoored as himself.

• Bond in Stillness They connect over alcohol and table tennis. Their dialogue is sparse, but it is in their silence, movements, and mutual fragility that their connection deepens.

• Tension and Ambiguity As their intimacy grows, Dan suspects the hermit may be implicated in Steve’s death. Trust veers into suspicion and back, reflecting the murky terrain of his grief.

• Unresolved Closure The film doesn’t deliver tidy answers. Instead, it lingers in the unspoken—guilt, grief, and the quiet possibility of understanding a forsaken self.

Director’s Vision: In Silence, Men Speak

• Intimate Scale, Emotional Expansiveness Filmed in just six days near the director’s home, The Rooster maximizes its landscape—both physical and emotional—through quiet yet textured performances.

• Symbolic Resonance The rooster, dreams of a hanging body, and the crucifix—these recurring motifs echo inner turmoil and Dan’s psychological unraveling.

• Humor in the Dark Subtle comedic beats, such as the ping-pong interludes or offhand dialogue, stock the tragic terrain with moments of awkward levity.

Themes: Masculinity, Guilt, and Forgiveness

• Male Loneliness and Mental Health The film probes the isolation many men endure silently, and how grief can fracture the psyche when there is no outlet.

• Guilt as Anchor Steve’s death leaves Dan adrift. The film suggests that emotional survival sometimes means forging a connection—even one tangled with suspicion.

• Healing or Delusion?Their bond teeters between genuine connection and projection—forcing us to question whether companionship can truly come from brokenness.

Key Success Factors

• Performative Contrast Phoenix Raei grounds the film with quiet sorrow, while Hugo Weaving—feral and unpredictable—injects raw, explosive energy. Their dynamic is kinetic emotional gravity.

• Cinematic Restraint Craig Barden’s cinematography pairs Australian bush beauty with claustrophobic dread. Stefan Gregory’s occasional jazz-tinged score adds emotional resonance.

• Authentic Debut As a first feature, it feels lived-in—not straining for drama, but seeking emotional truth through subtext and atmosphere.

Awards & Nominations

• Australian Directors’ Guild Awards 2023Best Direction in a Debut Feature—highlighting the emotional control and visual boldness of Winter’s first

• AACTA Awards 2024Hugo Weaving wins Best Supporting Actor. Phoenix Raei nominated for Best Lead Actor; film nominated for Best Indie Film.

• Also nominated for CinefestOZ Film Prize and MIFF’s Bright Horizons

Critics Reception: Masculine Melancholy Meets Uneasy Kinship

• The Guardian (Luke Buckmaster): Describes the film as delivering on its “Hugo Weaving goes feral in the bush” promise—but “as an exploration of masculinity and connection, it’s decent but unexceptional.”

• The Conversation (Stuart Richards): Praises the balanced comedy-drama and the performances of the central duo, calling it a “powerful examination of isolation and moving on.”

• ScreenHub (Stephen A. Russell): Awards four out of five stars, offering, “a startling debut … two fragile men tussle in the woods.”

• The AU Review (Peter Gray): Rates 3.5/5, noting its “dark humour and uncomfortable fragility.”

Reviews: Raw Honesty Resonates (with Some Unease)

• Subculture Entertainment (David Griffiths): Calls it “highly imaginative and impactful,” lauding its emotional clarity and subdued realism.

• TL;DR Movie Reviews: Highlights the sincere portrayal of male trauma and raw emotion—“a stunning exploration of the trauma of loss” that left viewers moved.

• Letterboxd Reactions: Many viewers praise its emotional depth, unique atmosphere, and haunting performances—though some note its pacing is slow, and tone challenging.

Why to Recommend

• Bold Emotional Minimalism: A story about two broken men finding something irreducible in each other—delivered without melodrama.

• Standout Performances: Raei’s quiet grief and Weaving’s feral energy are exceptional and deeply human.

• Unique Tone: Oscillates between tragedy, dark humor, and surreal moments in the bush—hauntingly original.

Movie Trend: Quiet, Complex Character Studies

This film joins a wave of understated, character-led dramas that explore masculinity, grief, and connection away from urban centers—think The Lighthouse or Lean on Pete, but with a distinctly Australian sensibility.

Social Trend: Male Vulnerability and Isolation

In spotlighting men who don’t speak about trauma, The Rooster taps into broader conversations on mental health and the unspoken struggles of rural life—making silence its most powerful language.

Final Verdict: A Gentle But Impactful Cockcrow

The Rooster doesn't roar—it whispers. It’s a deliberate, introspective dive into what happens when grief and solitude lead a man into the bush—and into a wounded covenant with another. With its literary quiet, visual precision, and powerhouse performances, it stands out as one of the most emotional Australian debuts in recent memory.