The Royal Hotel (film)

The Royal Hotel

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2023
Founder	Kitty Green, Oscar Redding (screenplay)
Products	Psychological thriller film
Parent	See-Saw Films, Scarlett Pictures

The Royal Hotel is a 2023 Australian psychological thriller helmed by director Kitty Green, who collaborated with Oscar Redding on the screenplay. The cast includes Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Toby Wallace, and Hugo Weaving. This film draws inspiration from Pete Gleeson’s 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie.

The movie had its debut at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on 1 September 2023 and later saw its Australian release through Transmission Films on 23 November 2023.

Plot

Hanna and Liv, two young backpackers from the United States, journey across Australia. After their funds run dry in Sydney, they accept bartending positions at the Royal Hotel, a pub situated in a remote mining town in the outback. There, they encounter Billy, the establishment’s owner, and his wife Carol, who also serves as the cook. Their initial shift involves overseeing a boisterous farewell party for Jules and Cassie, English tourists who previously worked there. Hanna feels uneasy due to the pervasive casual sexism and inappropriate conduct from mainly male customers, whereas Liv regards it as merely cultural adjustment.

The following day, Jules and Cassie depart accompanied by an enigmatic local named Dolly. Hanna forms a connection with Matty, a young regular who had shown interest earlier. They witness the volatile dynamic between Billy and Carol and discover that Billy has not compensated Tommy, the delivery driver, for several months. That evening, Hanna declines Matty’s romantic advances and becomes alarmed when Dolly comes upstairs; she secures the door but keeps silent about it. In subsequent days, Hanna faces persistent harassment while Liv gains popularity among the locals.

Liv becomes increasingly careless at work, making friends with miner Teeth and joining patrons in drinking sessions. One night, an aggressive confrontation with Dolly occurs but Billy ejects him. When a snake invades their living quarters, Dolly kills it but unnerves Hanna further by preserving it in a jar labeled with her name; Liv again dismisses Hanna’s worries.

Unable to have Dolly removed from the pub, Hanna opts to resign alongside Liv; however, Billy refuses to pay their wages. During a dispute over unpaid salaries and bills, Billy sustains an injury that compels Carol to take him to the hospital. Before leaving, Carol gives Hanna and Liv some money and advises them to depart when the bus arrives in two days.

On their final evening, Hanna organizes a birthday celebration for Liv. Discovering that Liv has left with Dolly, Hanna finds her intoxicated inside Dolly’s car and slashes one of its tires to prevent him from driving away. Back at the pub, tensions escalate between the two friends. The next morning, Dolly and Matty break into the hotel and pursue Hanna; Liv leaves with Dolly while Hanna defends herself using an axe but is wounded.

As Dolly and Matty abduct Liv, miner Teeth intervenes by crashing into Dolly’s vehicle and attacking him. Matty escapes. Returning to the pub, the women start smashing bottles; Teeth claims Liv for himself but is turned down. Amidst this turmoil, Hanna sets fire to the Royal Hotel. The story concludes with Hanna and Liv walking away as flames consume the building.

Cast

• Julia Garner as Hanna
• Jessica Henwick as Liv
• Herbert Nordrum as Torsten
• Bree Bain as office woman
• Ursula Yovich as Carol
• Hugo Weaving as Billy
• James Frecheville as Teeth
• Daniel Henshall as Dolly
• Toby Wallace as Matty
• Baykali Ganambarr as Tommy

Development

The screenplay was co-written by Kitty Green and Oscar Redding, drawing inspiration from Pete Gleeson's 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie, which depicts two Finnish backpackers encountering misogynistic attitudes while employed at a pub in the mining town of Coolgardie, Western Australia. The film was produced by See-Saw Films, with producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, and Liz Watts collaborating alongside Kath Shelper of Scarlett Pictures. International sales responsibilities were handled by HanWay Films and Cross City Films, while North American distribution rights were secured by Neon in April 2022.

Casting

In April 2022, Hugo Weaving and Jessica Henwick were announced as part of the cast. Later, in August 2022, Toby Wallace joined the ensemble.

Filming

Principal photography took place in August 2022 in Yatina, South Australia, a small town with a population of 29. A closed-down bar within Yatina was utilized as a principal filming site; the upstairs living quarters served as shooting locations, while scenes set in the bar on the ground floor were filmed on a separate stage.

The shoot spanned 21 days. Director Kitty Green and director of photography Michael Latham meticulously storyboarded the sequences before filming commenced.

Release

The Royal Hotel made its debut at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, followed by a presentation at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2023. The film was subsequently released in the United States by Neon on October 6, 2023, and later distributed in Australia by Transmission Films on November 23, 2023.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Royal Hotel holds an approval rating of 88%, while Metacritic reports a score of 77, indicating widespread critical praise. Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter characterized it as "a well-etched story on dread overload." Marya E. Gates from RogerEbert.com described it as "a Gen Z twist on the Australian classic Wake in Fright," emphasizing its unsettling depiction of the Outback's toxic, alcohol-driven environment and Kitty Green’s continued examination of violent masculinity’s effects on women.

Awards

• Competed for Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, receiving the RTVE-Otra Mirada Award
• Selected officially for screening at the BFI London Film Festival
• Won Outstanding International Feature Film at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival
• Nominated for Best Film at the AACTA Awards, with Julia Garner up for Best Lead Actress