Cook review: ‘Royal Hotel’ is solid thriller about female safety

There’s more than a grain of truth to this fictional thriller set in Australia.

The 2016 documentary “Hotel Coolgardie,” about the sexism Finnish backpackers experienced when they went to work near an Australian Outback mining town, is among its influences (I recommend that one, too.)

‘The Royal Hotel’ (IMDb)

In “The Royal Hotel,” Julia Garner (“Ozark”) plays Hanna, who has traveled to Australia with her friend Liv (Jessica Henwick, “Glass Onion.”) They run low on cash after quite a bit of time spent on partying, so they take a job at the Royal Hotel, an isolated pub that’s not too far from a mining town.

The pub’s hard-drinking owner is Billy (Hugo Weaving, “V for Vendetta”) who has a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Carol (Ursula Yovich, “Australia.”)

The miners are anything but subtle, and they begin harassing both young women almost immediately. A fellow named Matt (Toby Wallace, “Babyteeth”) has eyes for Hanna, who distrusts nearly every miner she meets. While Liz joins in the hard-partying atmosphere, Hanna wants to sit things out and ensure Liv’s safety.

As the nights go by, the “jokes” become more vicious, and violence seems to be looming in every scene. The men become more brutal and insistent as the tension continues to build.

The impulsive, devil-may-care Liv proves to be a challenge for Hanna, who isn’t sure exactly which man or situation could prove more dangerous than the next.

I love the way the story unfolds with ever-mounting dread. It’s well-acted, with believable dialogue and characters.

Director Kitty Green (“Casting JonBenét,”) who also co-wrote the screenplay, shows us an alcohol-fueled world that’s seldom safe for the young women in it.

It’s a thriller with a warning about safety at its core.

3 stars

Running time: 91 minutes.

Rated: R for foul language, sexual situations and violence.

Streaming on Apple TV, prime video, Google Play,  YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft, redbox and Spectrum.

Watch the trailer here.