The Royal Hotel (2023) User Reviews

A fine movie but might not be for the masses...

[kysta · 7/10 · 29 October 2023]

Felt compelled to leave a review after watching this last night and seeing how many people left poor reviews. All i knew going into it was that it was filmed in Australia and i'm a fan of JG so would watch it regardless of much else.

Enjoyed this from start to finish. For some, movies are about what they make you feel and think. If you enjoy character studies about people, place, time or circumstances then this might be up your alley. It's not a happy movie nor a true horror which is probably how many have been left disappointed. Indie drama/thriller would better describe it.

It's bleak and scary for the fact that human nature is often something to fear more than anything pretend. I had that sick feeling of unease through throughout (which is something i really appreciate from such movies).

I would watch it again however my partner (male) watching with me was waiting for something bigger to happen and felt the end was anti climatic - 2 different views.

potential backpackers take note

[cotta002-318-865119 · 6/10 · 27 October 2023]

This movie is a dramatic interpretation of the documentary film "hotel coolgardie" (I reviewed that also on IMDb)

It tells the story of two backpackers travelling through Australia and they take up a job via a job agency (very common in Australia backpacking community). Only downside the hotel is in south Australia in a mining location.

They are met with a culture shock of how rough the men are and how the women have to cope with chauvinism.

The movie portrays real life in the mining towns of southern Australia where the pub is the main gathering location and where men drink far too much.

There are a few scenes where artistic license is used to make for a more dramatic movie but all in all it's a true reflection of the experiences many female travellers have.

I recommend to watch and then view "Hotel Coolgardie" to compare.

The Royal Hotel - if the toxic masculinity were a place

[Ahmad-Imran · 7/10 · 27 December 2023]

It is a metaphor for women in their workplaces. If you think it is too over the top and exaggerated, ask the women around you (girlfriends/wives/friends), and they'll tell you that it could easily be passed for any corporate offices in any of the metropolitan, at least their fear and constant guard. Places where women are constantly objectified, harassed, discriminated against, and preyed upon. The men in sharp suits and pleasant demeanors are not too different from the seemingly barbaric and boorish miners of the royal hotel, who are so ignorant that they don't know the difference between harassment and harmless flirting, and the concept of consent is alien to them. Any of them can be a potential sex offender - a molester or, worse, a rapist. To survive in this world, women have to constantly watch their moves, read their intentions, and carefully choose (curate and refine) their own actions, words, and even body language so as not to unintentionally encourage unsolicited advances, on top of all this, they have to do their work effectively and efficiently. No wonder women excel at multitasking. Oh, the only surety of survival is...you burn the whole effing place down.

You either love it or hate it, it seems

[AfricanBro · 26 October 2023]

Strangely, I had this gut feeling that I'd enjoy this movie, solely based on the poster, even before reading the synopsis or watching the trailer. I was then worried I'd set my expectations too high, so I lowered them a bunch. At the time of writing this, there are fewer than 20 IMDb reviews, most of them being 1/10 ratings, which makes me feel somewhat delusional for not disliking it.

Now, let's be clear, not much happens in this film. If you're looking for a riveting storyline, this ain't it. The characters lack depth, and while there are hints about why they left 'Canada', we never really learn much about them. It's implied there's more to them, but never shown/said. Surprisingly, I wasn't annoyed by this, just as I wasn't bothered by the lack of things happening. I genuinely enjoyed it and felt a detailed backstory wasn't necessary.

The biggest issue lies in its marketing as a "thriller," which likely skewed people's expectations, accentuated by Julia Garner's Ozark fame. If I knew it was meant to be a thriller beforehand, I might have disliked it too. It's more of an indie-style, maybe psychological film, so forget any notions of it being a thriller; that's like when movies throw in a jump scare and eerie music and slapping the "horror" label on it when it isn't. I hate that.

It reminds me of movies like "American Honey," where I felt like I was actually in the movie, experiencing everything alongside the characters. I remember seeing a lot of bad reviews for that one too, even though I enjoyed it. "The Royal Hotel" will likely be a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. Many people don't like it, and I get why when I hear their reasons, but personally, I really enjoyed it. It's not a mind-blowing story, as I mentioned, but it held my attention throughout. I was glued to the screen. Most of it takes place in one location, yet it feels like so much is going on.

The whole first hour and then some felt like a build-up to the last 20 minutes. There wasn't much character development early on, but they grew on me as the movie progressed. There's a sense that things will go south when the girls are left alone. The tension built up beautifully for about 1hr15, then unraveled in just 10 minutes. Climax felt short lived, then again it is a short film, think I've just been watching a lot of 2-3 hour movies lately. Strangely enough, and I probably get some flak for this, but I genuinely enjoyed this more than "Killers of the Flower Moon," even though Scorsese's film had much more to it. Underscores the importance of pacing I guess.

It feels like they created the characters first and then figured out how the plot could evolve from there, rather than starting with a story. It's a raw film and disturbing for a guy to watch how the men behave in it. There's a warning about the remote setting and men at the beginning. I love how the movie went about depicting bad characters as bad characters, in stark contrast to Barbie for instance. The message is unmistakable, yet the film doesn't hammer it home repeatedly; it's conveyed through actions, not words.

I believe that Barbie was a good movie, and if it had followed a similar approach in portraying its characters, it could have conveyed its message effectively without receiving the backlash it did regarding how the 'Kens' were depicted. The same principle applies to portraying good guys as good guys and showcasing strong female leads. I think the argument against guys not liking badass female leads is unfounded. We've had iconic characters like Lara Croft, avatar Korra, The Bride from Kill Bill, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Camille Preaker from Sharp Objects, and most recently, Supergirl from The Flash( a lot of guys literally hated the movie but her). Anyway I side tracked big time lol but back to "The Royal Hotel," I also enjoyed the two leads and how they had a compelling and badass conclusion.

The acting was fantastic and believable, perhaps the best from the two leads I've seen. Everything felt genuine, and the plot evolved naturally based on the characters' decisions and actions, making it all the more believable. In my opinion, the best aspect of this movie is how everything progresses naturally because of it.

I loved it. But a lot of people seem to not like the movie so maybe I'm delusional one here. I guess I'll add this to my list of guilty pleasures.

Those that don't get it are Men

[mvb-37703 · 7/10 · 18 March 2024]

All the reviews stating it wasn't a thriller are most likely coming from men. I played the movie blindly with little to no prior information and half way through I knew it was directed by a woman. Why you ask? Because every ominous scene delivered a fear we as women are too familiar with, the danger of men.

The threat was made clear every time one of the girls was left alone and you eventually find yourself trying to find safety with characters like tooth. It was not a stellar thriller but definitely one that will resonate with women.

Main reason for an 7 is because Liv infuriated me with her horrible decision making and we never understood what happened to the British girls.

So guys, don't take it personal, just be better.

Guess this movie only found a rotten audience...

[sarastro7 · 7/10 · 31 October 2023]

Someone said recently that audiences were more appreciative of good movies 50 years ago, and (by implication) that current audiences don't know quality when they see it. Jesus H. Christ, when seeing the user reviews here that is really and starkly borne out!

This is a perfectly well-made and often chilling drama about toxic masculinity; a realistic portrayal of how things can veer off-track for anybody; a well-acted and believable depiction of culture shock and the psychological problems of isolation and weltschmerz.

Yet most of the reviewers here clearly weren't prepared for this type of movie, and clearly wanted something very different. Well, why did you watch this, you bleedin' nincompoops? Why didn't you turn it off after half an hour? Why did you even bother to write a review? That's on you, peeps. Get better at picking your content.

The Royal Hotel (2023): A Slow Burn That Never Ignites

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 3/10 · 26 October 2023]

Kitty Green's drama, The Royal Hotel is a slow burn that never ignites. The film follows two young Canadian backpackers, Liv (Jessica Henwick) and Becky (Julia Garner), who take on bartending jobs at a remote pub in the Australian Outback. The pub is owned by the enigmatic Bill (Hugo Weaving), and the clientele is made up of a rough-and-tumble bunch of miners.

As the film progresses, Liv and Becky find themselves increasingly isolated and vulnerable. The men at the pub are increasingly aggressive and predatory, and the women are forced to constantly navigate their way through dangerous and uncomfortable situations.

The Royal Hotel is a well-acted film, with particularly strong performances from Henwick and Garner. However, the film's slow pace and lack of suspense eventually become its undoing. The film is more interested in creating a sense of atmosphere and dread than in telling a compelling story. Unfortunately, it never quite succeeds in either.

One of the biggest problems with The Royal Hotel is that it never really gives the audience a reason to care about the two main characters. Liv and Becky are thinly drawn characters, and their motivations are never fully explored. As a result, it's difficult to feel any real tension or suspense when they are in danger.

Another problem with the film is its pacing. The Royal Hotel is a very slow-moving film, and it often feels like nothing is happening. There are long stretches of the film where the only thing happening is Liv and Becky serving drinks to the miners. This makes the film feel very tedious and boring at times.

Finally, The Royal Hotel's climax is both unsatisfying and confusing. The film builds up to a major confrontation between Liv, Becky, and the miners, but the climax is ultimately resolved in a very anti-climactic way. The film ends with a number of unanswered questions, and the audience is left feeling confused and frustrated.

Overall, The Royal Hotel is a disappointing film. It's a well-acted film with a great atmosphere, but it's also a slow-moving and unsatisfying film. But I wouldn't call this film a thriller as it offers no thrills or much suspense for the audience. The film literally made me yawn a few times during its runtime.

Nothing happens and then it ends

[smooth6178 · 1/10 · 19 October 2023]

I went to see this movie because I like Julia Garner from Ozark and it said it was a thriller. Unfortunately, it was not a thriller in any sense of the word and Julia Garner's performance, along with everyone else's was not good. I don't blame them, I blame the writer because they weren't given anything to work with. There are a couple of times during the movie where you are like ok this is where it's going to turn into a thriller and then......nothing happens. Nothing happens for the entire 90 minutes this movie was on the screen and then it ended.

Oh and when it ends with the two main characters lighting the bar on fire. They apparently had enough time to go upstairs and pack all their things and get out before being caught in the blaze. Smh.

I clicked yes on spoilers because I told the end of the movie but it's really not a spoiler because again, nothing happens.

Do not go see this movie!!!! You won't be able to get the 90 minutes back.

No message beyond illustrating that men living in isolation can easily become beasts

[steiner-sam · 7/10 · 7 October 2023]

It's an Australian psychological buddy movie set in current times in the Australian Outback. It follows two young women touring Australia who run out of money and need to take temporary work at the isolated Royal Hotel.

Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) identify as young Canadian women who run out of money in Sydney. Liv is outgoing, while Hanna is more cautious. They agree to take temporary work and travel jobs as bar servers in a rural mining area.

When they arrive after a long bus ride, they meet Carol (Ursula Yovich) and Billy (Hugo Weaving), who own the bar and live in a nearby trailer. Billy immediately uses abusive language and turns out to be an alcoholic. Carol, an Indigenous woman, cooks and tries to manage Billy. Hanna and Liv soon meet some of the scary regulars at the bar, including Matty (Toby Wallace), Teeth (James Frechville), and Dolly (Daniel Henshall). Almost everyone overuses alcohol. Many of the men are abusive, use misogynistic language, and make increasing sexual demands. The film's climax occurs when Billy and Carol need to be away from the bar for a while.

"The Royal Hotel" is a depressing movie. Garner, Henwick, and Yovich are excellent and nuanced in their roles. The male characters give solid performances but are incredibly repulsive. There is no message in the film other than illustrating that men living in relative isolation can easily become beasts.

This Is NOT A Thriller

[TheAnimalMother · 2/10 · 18 October 2023]

I can't believe they're marketing this as a thriller. There isn't even one thrill in it really, well aside from a snake perhaps. I know many people overly hate snakes. To me, this film was really nothing but a drama.

The trailer is highly misleading, and honestly more suspenseful than any part of the actual film. Hopefully someone sues them for false advertising.

At least there were a couple of funny moments. Other than that however, what a hallow and boring film. The characters are mostly bland and they're all very one dimensional. Some people claim that the film is a horror. What? I'm not sure how anyone could even be remotely thrilled by this film, beyond a single moment or two.

The one main character is almost constantly paranoid about basically nothing and everything. She even openly states so. The rest of the characters are all drunks basically, other than the one woman that first drives the two girls to the hotel. That's the movie, a somewhat uptight and paranoid young woman out of her element, surrounded by a bunch of drunks. Much of the film is just silly, but the end especially is beyond ridiculous.

2.5/10.

Character Driven Parable

[mdayne-1 · 8/10 · 3 April 2024]

Without such strong characters and great acting this movie would have been lost. The imagery and the story layers are a great canvas for the talents of a great cast from leads to peripherals. Kudos to Hugo Weaving for allowing the two female leads to lead. A true professional. Despite what you may read I didn't find this movie to be particularly disturbing or scary. To me this was a story of how lost we can get trying to find a meaning to life and looking for adventure by going to the ends of the earth when all of it resides in each of us.

Too bad it wasn't more successful commercially, but you get the feeling that all involved were involved for the love of acting and storytelling.

House of the drunkard bums.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 7 November 2023]

Set in a remote Australian town surrounded by nothing but Outback as far as the eye can see, this slow-burning social thriller focuses on a pair of US backpackers who have to take a job at an isolated dive bar when they run out of money to fund their vacation. Their rowdy new workplace attracts a consistent clientele comprised almost solely of horny grubs with no respect for women and an unmistakable air of danger emanating from their every pore. As soon as our protagonists step foot in the place, something just feels off. This is something that one of them acknowledges almost instantly, the sensibly suspicious Hanna (Julia Garner), before she is made to feel overly cautious by her much more free-spirited companion, Liv (Jessica Henwick), and decides to stick out her new employment instead of immediately running for the hills. As their situation shifts from uncomfortable to life-threatening, this disparity in self-preservation skills starts to wear on the pair's relationship. Constantly bombarded with every form of sexism imaginable, the pair react to their new environment in entirely different ways. Liv's cavalier attitude to her own safety becomes increasingly worrisome and frustrating, both for us and for a consistently bravely defiant Hanna. The closer 'The Royal Hotel (2023)' gets to its finale, the more overt its danger becomes. It evolves from creeping domestic dread to all-out edge-of-your-seat horror, even if the tone never quite shifts to become the "nerve-shredding thriller" some of the marketing seems to promise. The narrative plays out like a drama with some incredibly suspenseful and uncomfortable scenes, which helps it to remain grounded for its majority. At the same time, it does become fairly overt in its misogyny and this runs the risk of diluting its authenticity. This level of sexism certainly does exist, though, and it's worth exploring just as much as the subtler, arguably more insidious forms that tend to be more common in everyday life. Furthermore, the piece manages to explore both sides of that equation rather well, even if it never quite evolves into the full-blown genre piece its ending seems to imply it was destined to be. It's the sort of thing that grows in power after it's over, staying with you thanks to its keenly disconcerting subject matter and ability to put you in its protagonists' shoes. It's grounded and believable, mainly thanks to its solid direction, assured screenplay and all around great performances (including a surprise appearance from Hugo Weaving). It's an effectively unsettling drama-come-thriller that keeps you engaged for its entire duration and comes to a satisfyingly chaotic conclusion.

What's the point???

[shassan-73316 · 5/10 · 26 October 2023]

I didn't know much about this film, but I really didn't expect this.

For the entire hour and 30 minutes, I kept waiting for something significant to happen, but nothing did.

Why on earth would two girls go to the middle of the desert to work in a bar were bunch of people get drunk and do stupid things. That's the story in a nutshell, then they get to meet bunch of dudes who want to have a good time with them, but one of them gets violent, so one of the girls tries to stop him.

I can't understand why this film was made or what it was trying to say, truly pointless to me and a true waste of time and talent.

Watch Hotel Coolgardie

[rc_harris · 7/10 · 26 January 2024]

This was a decent enough film on its own merits, however I urge anyone who enjoyed it, or even thought they were going to enjoy it but didn't, to watch Hotel Coolgardie. This is the true story documentary that the film is based on. The film is set in a very similar place, but the characters in the film, rough as they might be supposed to be, are far more clean cut than the people in real life. They are also far less sinister than the real life people, albeit it's more subtle in the documentary. Hotel Coolgardie really shows the pitfalls of isolation and toxic masculinity, and paints a really frightening portrait of rural Australia.

GO TO THE ROYAL HOTEL - NOW

[movieguy3000 · 7/10 · 23 December 2023]

This is a really good film, great cast, great locations, great cinematography and has everything going for it, especially the story telling. Kitty Green is a great story-teller unlike all these arty-farty people trying to tell stories in Australia. Her last film - The Assistant was a abysmal and was so boring, but this is a great follow-up. Even though I hate when Aussie filmmakers make the lead an American - that is an insult and we know you're doing it to get the funding, but it works with this story as its based on the real documentary. Overall, the film works well and is truly entertaining. There are some execution problems as well as plausibility issues when you have a lead character is potential danger and you don't fully flesh it out and realize it, its like your almost on the edge of your seat and then your back on your seat so quickly that the danger that could have happened - was over so quickly you didn't give the audience time to take it in, you didn't let the danger get there, just a glimpse of it and then nothing. I want to be entertainment by giving my senses an extravaganza of emotions manipulated. Overall, I enjoyed the film and it a good watch, nothing to call home about but from an Aussie film perspective it has my vote.

Watch the superior Hotel Coolgardie

[bazza_mckenzie02 · 2/10 · 16 October 2023]

A film very loosely based on the disturbing hotel Coolgardie documentary.

Normally films based on documentaries go all out using it as a source only.

Or the other way try to remake it into a film without adding anything only taking away the elements that made it successful.

Here there is no can man.

No character no person who has any non self serving purpose.

Every character is a walking cliche.

The two supposed mates seem to be strangers and don't appear to have any bond or care for each other in any way.

Neither 2 main actors display the anguish or loneliness of their situation location. Isolation is a bygone concept here.

Black haired one seems to be enjoying her time right up until the last 15 minutes.

That Hulking piece of human waste from the doco is recast as someone roughly the same height as the 2 leads none of his real world menace just over the top psycho here.

The end couldn't be more over the top or far fetched, burn down a pub the only pub for hundreds of ks and the locals cheer you on for doing it no escape next people they see will be furious locals or the cops.

No buses or trains.

Give it a miss unless you haven't watched the doco but I'd recommend the doco truly horrifying.

Toxic Masculinity

[florencephoto1984 · 7/10 · 21 March 2024]

When I saw that it was a "horror" film I was expecting more... blood.

The horror is how unsafe and untrustworthy the world can be. It is a slow burn but a cautionary tale...especially for woman.

I thought the acting was good. I was thinking this could be a limited series. Give more of the back story and then show us where they end up?

When I saw that it was a "horror" film I was expecting more... blood.

The horror is how unsafe and untrustworthy the world can be. It is a slow burn but a cautionary tale...especially for woman.

I thought the acting was good. I was thinking this could be a limited series. Give more of the back story and then show us where they end up?

Terrible and shocking ending

[andropeter · 1/10 · 24 October 2023]

They got everything they want.

They got their salary.

They got protection.

And then they get drunk and burn down the place of the only person that was fair to them.

Really a terrible movie. Don't waste your time. Nothing happens and then it ends non sensically. Deeply frustrating. Like just wasted two hours. Despicable movie.

All along you wait that something happens but nothing happen. Actually everybody behaves more or less correctly, except the two girls.

Hopefully/ justice catch up with them and they get fined, jailed for arson and destruction of property.

It's one of those movies where you feel ripped off your time and money. Disgusting.

Funny but a true insight to outback Aussie towns

[ellieg-381-487914 · 7/10 · 6 January 2024]

Easy watch, funny in places. Highlights how misogynistic Outback Australia is and how dangerous it can be especially for women.

The movie is set in the desolate outback one horse town and the people who live there are alcoholics that live a harsh male dominated life and don't see many women. Two female Canadian backpackers turn up to work in the only pub which serves as a central hub for this rural community and they are faced with the worst kind of egocentric men that drink way too much and have no respect for women.

Ending was ok, just a few unanswered questions which was annoying.

Huge Weaving is always good to watch.

Oh Dear

[The_eyes_of_Anna · 3/10 · 25 October 2023]

What was this?a thriller you say?, nah it pretty much has no thrills at all , it is well enough acted but just when you think something is going to take a dramatic turn it just fizzles out.

The story of Hanna ans Liv , two backpackers who take a job in a pub in the australian middle of nowhere to get some money behind them whilst travelling had potential but it is never really realised Liv is fairly flat , you dont learn much about her but its Hanna who is by far the most irritating character in the whole movie, so dull she makes Kristen Stewart seem like Coco the clown.

The guys who frequent the pub are just as you would think them to be, but again any sense of menace is lost as the dialogue and the plotting pull back and leave you wondering if anything is going to actually happen, i mean you might as well go and listen to some pub bores down at your local for all the good this movie does I was left with a massive feeling of who cares?regarding the whole thing.

The final scenes are laughable and cringe inducing, Thelma and Louise they ain't You have been warned.

Ignore the Low User Ratings

[stevesears-19527 · 8/10 · 18 February 2024]

This a common case where the Metacritic score is far more useful than the user score. It is a solid genre flick with two strong lead role performances and a very well selected supporting cast of creeps. Kitty Green is in full control of this film from start to finish, putting the audience in a terribly uncomfortable situation that seems extreme at times but at the same time all too familiar. You will not have to have backpacked the Australian Outback to relate to what these two girls are experiencing. You have either been in their shoes at one time or have at the uncomfortable experience of witnessing someone in their shoes. With a tight 1.5 hour run time it is well worth a watch. 8/10.

Another well made anti masculine film

[tris-miles · 6/10 · 25 October 2023]

Trying to think of a positive male role model in this film. Hmmmm, nope, not even the man of the old couple celebrating their anniversary... he was a bit of a coward. So there's about 30-40 men in this film, and 5 male leads - all of them are either drunkard, violent, weak, sexist, stupid, cowardly or sexually aggressive. Of the 3 main female leads, they are heroic, brave, kind, long suffering, wise and strong. The only other 2 women are in it for a fleeting moment and are seen to be promiscuous.

So what we have here is another well made, well shot, well acted, anti-masculine film.

Watch it and judge for yourselves, the narrative of many indie (and mainstream) films nowadays contains some sort of anti male agenda where the men are almost entirely portrayed in a negative light.

What's the point of this story?

[imseeg · 5/10 · 26 October 2023]

I read the description of this movie expecting either a drama or a crime movie, but I got neither. What I did get to see was a portrait of an Australian pub. Period. Sometimes a bit rowdy as in any pub. And that's it. What the what?

The bad: this story is going nowhere. 2 female pub employees serve beer and ocassionally hang out with some of the pub visitors. Wanna watch that for 90 minutes long? I got bored.

There is a final to this story that does not make sense at all, making me further question the capabilities of the writer of this script.

Kinda tedious. Kinda lame. Nothing much happens except some common pub rowdiness. And that is suppose to be the basis of an entire movie?

Not any good then? Jennifer Garner is a great actress. SHE was THE reason I started watching this movie, but her performance cant cover up the simple fact that this story is void of any drama or thrill. What a dud.

90 minutes of wasted time you will not get back.

[LordCommandar · 17 March 2024]

So I watched the movie from beginning to end thinking that something was going to jump off with these two girls going on traveling work pay vacation, in a run down Aussie bar owned by drunkard Hugo Weaving. 90 minutes of wasted time I will not get back watching a movie about the two of them doing absolutely nothing until the very last 5 minutes of the film, what a waste of time. Julia Garner has not been in anything remotely close to being good since the Ozark. If you want something to help you put you to sleep this would be the film to do it. It starts nowhere and it ends up nowhere. Hard pass.

Pretty good

[martinrobertson300482 · 7/10 · 15 November 2023]

Went into this movie knowing nothing about it except it starred Ozarks Julia Garner. I loved this, as i was actually really liking not knowing where it was going, and loved the suspenceful moments of the movie. Right up until it reached an unfortunately disappointing ending.

The movie does for the Australian outback what deliverance did for hillbillies. Probably not good for the tourist industry but for the sake of the movie that's a good thing. As there's always a sense that somethings going to go badly wrong throughout. The film does a good job of investing you in its built up, but the big important finale of it all is very anticlimactic.