The Royal Hotel

Director: Kitty Green
Starring: Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Toby Wallace, Hugo Weaving, Ursula Yovich, James Frecheville, Daniel Henshall, Baykali Ganambarr
Running Time: 91 min.
Rating: R 

★★½ (out of ★★★★)

Kitty Green's The Royal Hotel doesn't really start until it's about ready to end, resulting in a slow burn that finally boils over before the credits roll. Less a traditional thriller than a series of misogynistic ordeals befalling its two protagonists, what unfolds is intelligently staged and performed. And yet, even with an atmosphere ripe for such a scenario, this impending sense of doom still feels like a big tease. Seemingly seeking inspiration from 1971's Australian cult classic, Wake In Fright, its best scenes do channel a similar dislocation and anxiety at being stranded in unfamiliar territory with menacing locals. But since so little happens, more patience is required. 

Such a methodical buildup could be a deal breaker for those wanting the film to go somewhere it doesn't, anticipating a violent, grueling story of two young women fighting for survival abroad. Green's previous feature, 2019's #MeToo drama The Assistant actually does a better job ratcheting up a series of micro and macro aggressions within its claustrophobic office setting. This lacks the urgency of that effort, but does feature another absorbing performance from Ozark actress Julia Garner, who at least ensures it won't be mistaken for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.             

When American backpackers Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) travel through Sydney, Australia and run out of money while partying, they agree to take jobs as bartenders at the Royal Hotel pub in a remote outback mining town. Planning to stay until they've earned enough cash to enjoy their vacation, they meet the pub's owner, Billy (Hugo Weaving) and his wife Carol (Ursula Yovich), who works as the chef. Arriving as their predecessors are thrown a wild going away party, Hanna and Liv are exposed to the patrons, nearly all of whom are drunk men who make sexist jokes, hit on them, and are basically offensive in every way. 

While Hanna is disturbed and frightened by the guys' behavior, Liv chalks it up to cultural differences, rationalizing they just need to hang tight for a few more weeks. But even as Hanna forges a bond with local pubgoer Matty (Toby Wallace), it's clear they're not as safe as Liv presumes. Threatening incidents grow in number and intensity, compromising their ability to walk away without facing potentially violent consequences. As easygoing Liv continues to let things roll off her back, Hanna's had enough, knowing they'll have to take a stand before it's too late.

Based on a true story and adapted into the 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie, it isn't hard to believe much of what happens in Green and co-writer Oscar Redding's script, especially considering how it exploits the human fear of fending for yourself in an unknown location surrounded by strangers. Add drinking to an already unbalanced dynamic and those tensions only heighten, lending these events a sense of realism, though not necessarily nail-biting excitement. 

The two friends couldn't be any more different, with Hanna constantly on guard, overwhelmed by the sense things could quickly go bad for them. Between strong hints of racism and implied rape, she knows what's happening here, even as Liv's head remains in the clouds. If nothing else, it's intriguing to see Garner in a role that's the antithesis of Ozark's Ruth Langmore, playing a shy, vulnerable target rather than an agent of chaos. She really registers in the quieter scenes where we see the vaguely disguised terror on Hanna's face, each subtle expression correctly predicting how much worse it'll get. 

Henwick's Liv is a shallower written character, as even a blinking neon "Danger" sign outside the hotel wouldn't be enough to convince her to leave. Hugo Weaving is nearly unrecognizable as pub owner Billy, whose drinking unleashes an unpleasantness wife Carol has grown sick of years ago. Maybe the the only trustworthy person the girls encounter, she knows what it's like to be a woman in a town full of intimidating brutes. One of them, Dolly (Daniel Henshall), comes across as the creepiest and most malicious, hovering on the periphery before an unnerving scene confirms Hanna's worst suspicions. 

Toby Wallace also makes a big impact as Matty, who Hanna is drawn to, but keeps at arm's length. The arc is fairly predictable, but Wallace plays it down the middle so skillfully that we grasp her ambivalence in the face of many red flags. Anyone who's seen Netflix's cancelled too soon The Society knows how strong an actor he is, standing out amidst a loaded cast of future stars. He brings that same devious charm to this, despite the project not amounting to nearly as much. 

By the time this reaches the last act, its reasonable length still leaves you spent, with the closing minutes feeling almost too convenient, if not overdue. Even with Garner delivering a turn that strays considerably from her Emmy winning TV role, it still doesn't quite get over the finish line. The Royal Hotel works well enough as a psychological character study, but everything comes down to its payoff, which reveals a promising setup in search of the missing pieces to do it justice.