TELLURIDE – The most intriguing aspect of Kitty Green’s new thriller “The Royal Hotel” is what she doesn’t tell you. Set in a town in the middle of the Australian outback, this is a movie that simmers in culture clashes, dangerous misogyny, and sexual tension. Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar Redding, is playing mind games with two visiting Americans, Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) awash in preconceived notions. But something is missing from making it a knockout.
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During a Q&A following a screening of the movie at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, Green remarked that she was inspired to make “Royal Hotel” after sitting on a festival jury in her native Australia a number of years ago. One of the documentaries focused on young women from overseas enduring leering and sexist men as they put their working holiday visas to use in the outback. Intended only for travelers between 17 and 35, this visa allows you to stay Down Under for up to 12 months, assuming you work during your stay. Signing up for the program is not what the twentysomething heroines in “Hotel” had in mind for their big Aussie escape.
Partying in Sydney, Liv realizes she’s completely out of money. Alas, Hanna can’t support both of them, so she’s coerced by her friend to sign up for a month-long gig as a bar server so they can enjoy the rest of their extended stay. The pair end up in a tiny mining town in the middle of nowhere full of overly eager male miners and other decidedly coarse characters who do who knows what. Their new place of employment, The Royal Hotel in question, is a restaurant and bar that has been around for decades. It may have fallen under hard times, but Billy (Hugo Weaving), the owner, seems more focused on getting wasted all day than doing anything to clean up the establishment.
When the two girls arrive, Hanna is immediately concerned and skeptical of everyone they meet. Liv, on the other hand, is more of a go-with-the-flow type of girl. Perhaps it’s the cocky American in her, but none of these people scare her. And, smartly, Green immediately flips the girl’s expectations on their heads. Billy might be a mess, but Carol (Ursula Yovich), the kitchen cook of Aboriginal descent, doesn’t take crap from him or anyone else. She is one of the few residents who recognizes crazy when she sees it. Teeth (James Frecheville), an imposing regular patron, seems dangerous at first but is just a socially awkward romantic. He doesn’t even know how to ask Liv out on a date without embarrassing himself. And then there is Matty (Toby Wallace). Close to the girls’ age, he doesn’t appear to be a miner, which endears him to them (we actually never figure out what he does to survive). He’s got a smile that could charm a rattlesnake and an energetic charisma that eventually forms cracks in Hanna’s not-so-bulletproof facade. 
But danger is lurking. One night, Hanna discovers an intoxicated Dolly (Daniel Henshall) – perhaps the bar’s most intimidating and angry patron – has made his way to the employee quarters on the second floor. She locks herself in a bedroom until he finally leaves. And, after a flirty night where Matty makes his move, Hanna has to go to extremes to let him know she’s not hooking up with him. Liv, on the other hand, dismisses these obvious red flags. Even when her own life seems to be in danger.
Green and Garner previously collaborated on 2019’s “The Assistant” and the filmmaker knows exactly how to tap into the “Ozark” star’s considerable skills. You may become frustrated with how Hanna handles her predicament, but Garner is going to subtly channel her fear for all its worth. The Emmy winner is such a talent she can have you on the edge of your seat just cracking open a beer bottle. That’s slightly to the detriment of the captivating Henwick whose character becomes more of a bystander as the movie progresses.
The film’s depiction of misogyny and classism isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s mostly a foil for setting up the events in the movie’s third act. And that’s where “Royal Hotel” falters a bit mostly due to Green and Redding’s decision to leave a bit too much unsaid. Hanna and Liv are running from something back home, but that’s all we know. Your mind can run wild with what that might be and it just feels a wee bit too ambiguous. Dolly and Toby appear to be up to something sinister. Is it as bad as Hanna believes? We assume so, they are clearly bad men, but is that truly the case?
It goes without saying that leaving something to the imagination can often work wonders for a thriller. We just wonder if a few more crumbs might have led to a slightly more satisfying conclusion. Because while Garner might be incredible on screen, but even she can’t fully carry this one across the finish line. [C+/B-]
“The Royal Hotel” opens in limited release on October 6
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