The Royal Hotel | Film Review

While backpacking through Australia, Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) take a temporary job at a bar and soon find themselves in a situation that spirals out of control.

The description doesn't give much away but this film is a weird one to put into words.

I didn't really have any expectations when I first put this on (and almost turned it off 5 minutes in), but I was really pleasantly surprised. I ended up liking it a lot!

It was so much more engaging than I thought it would be. At the 5 minute mark everything was hectic and weird and I thought the film wouldn't be for me, but once the girls actually got to the bar I was locked in!

The characters are likeable and the audience can relate to them as we are also (probably) unfamiliar with the environment that they find themselves in.

And while this is true of the two main characters, the supporting characters were also really interesting to watch - even the more unsavoury ones. 

There wasn't a point in this movie where I thought I knew what was going to happen, and I never really got the overall point, but that didn't take away my enjoyment at all. I was completely along for the ride.

The tension progresses gradually, to the point where about 40 minutes in the tension is so heavy that you can't look away from the screen, and I absolutely loved that.

In addition, Hanna's character development was my favourite thing about the film. It was so nice and interesting to watch, and I went from liking the character to loving her.

Overall, this is an underrated hidden gem. A small, intense story filled with interesting characters and a really great plot. I'd definitely recommend it and I can't wait to watch it again!

7.5/10