The Royal Hotel

Back in 2019, when the world was deep in the undercurrent of the Me Too movement, Hollywood – or what remained of it at the time – put its trust in the little hands of a new Australian director, to tell a story not based on, but heavily influenced by, the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. Julia Garner plays an intern to a film executive that we never see, but always feel the presence of. His corruption and misconduct imprinted on every document, email and hotel booking. It was a slow-burn of chilling intensity, highlighting how women navigate a man’s world, even with men out of sight. Jump to 2023, and director Kitty Green has returned with her second feature, The Royal Hotel, this time focusing on how women navigate a man’s world, but with men and their behaviour in plain sight.

Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) are two American backpackers – cosplaying as Canadians because “everyone loves Canadians” – on a working holiday visa in Australia. When their funds dwindle, they find themselves in the outback, bartending at a pub pin-dropped like a red Monopoly hotel in the middle of nowhere. Their only company – the local miners drowning their demons at the end a long, gruelling day underground. With “Fresh Meat” haunting the bar wall, the miners sink their pints, indulge their alcoholism and attempt to throw their lambs to the slaughter, night after night. Thankfully, Hanna has her wits about her and tries to claw herself and Liv out of their new found hell.

Kitty Green is quietly establishing herself as a queen of the slow burn. While The Assistant built tension in what wasn’t said or seen, The Royal Hotel builds it right in front of us. The monsters aren’t lurking behind emails or in the word of a colleague, they are lurking on the other side of the room or the other side of your locked door. What makes The Royal Hotel terrifying is not so much the horrors these characters inflict on others, but that it is drenched in realism. Garner, as always, is electric on the big screen. Hanna is a woman of little words, especially in the company of brutish, Australian men, so a lot of what is in her is expressed through Garner’s expressions and body language. Henwick is likeable, if not slightly irritating, as her polar opposite bestie, whose demons remain unknown but make her compelling none the less. Hugo Weaving is a relatable, likeable bloke we’ve no doubt all encountered and he brings the film’s Aussie humour to its knees. Toby Wallace and James Frecheville as Matty and Teeth bring charm, humour and darkness to their roles also. However it’s Daniel Henshall as Dolly that sharpens the edges of this fantastic film. Echoing his energy from Snowtown, he is a hyena waiting to jump his prey, and his presence lurks far past the end credits.

The Royal Hotel is a tense, nail-biting experience that, much like Wolf Creek, will make you want to avoid the outback. While its closing moments make the film slightly lose its footing, it is a fantastic local film that has officially made Kitty Green a director worth looking out for.

The Royal Hotel opens nationally on November 23rd.