Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Warning: this review discusses a film that deals with sexual harassment and misogyny. Reader discretion is advised.

By the third act of Kitty Green’s latest film, psychological drama The Royal Hotel, you will feel like you have hung around a questionable place for too long. The tension in the air is thick enough to cut with a knife. You will be questioning how you got to this place, and yet the red flags were there right from the opening sequence: a cacophonic party scene on a boat that already makes you feel trapped. Green’s indie, festival darling, The Royal Hotel, is designed to mimic the precariousness of the act of proverbially walking on eggshells, evoking the experience of being a woman in a misogynistic environment who has to think five moves ahead in order to navigate the endless, vicious outcomes made possible by the allowance of toxic masculinity. Loosely based on the documentary Hotel Coolgardie where an Australian bar welcomes backpackers to work periodically for it, Green invites two Canadian vagabonds Hanna (Julia Garner, who has worked with Green before on The Assistant) and Liv (Jessica Henwick). They find owner Billy (Hugo Weaving) who is a perpetual drunk who is behind on payments and has his own loopholes on when and how he wishes to pay these two women (payday is days after he hits up the bank? Strange…). This is only the beginning.

Zeroing in not just on nationwide sexism but also on the disparity between generations, The Royal Hotel shoves a lot of discourse within its ninety-minute runtime. The film never really goes as far as one may think it would, but Green ensures that recurring motifs land their mark; for instance, the shock of firework crackers popping off is a warning for their return when shit hits the fan in the climax (they don’t really represent anything, but the added layers of discomfort cleverly build up the extent of how nerve-wracking The Royal Hotel gets). The entirety of the film is an uphill battle that worsens, and, again, you will wonder how you, Hanna, and Liv got to this point of vulnerability and danger. They keep working the bar despite the warning shots of catcalls, inappropriateness, and blatant harassment, and the film naturally gets to a place full of the extremities of the worst of men. Towards the end of the feature, Liv, who is not in a proper state (for reasons I will leave alone) proclaims that this trip was meant to get away from the nightmares back home. Yes. Misogyny is prevalent everywhere, unfortunately. It cannot be escaped. It has to be killed. Will everyone be for this? Sadly not.

Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick shine in Kitty Green’s dismal drama *The Royal Hotel*.

Further and further, The Royal Hotel continues to dig; into hell; under your skin; into your brain; into the horrors of sexist behaviour. The final ten minutes are a whirlwind of shocking symbols all colliding: from the frustrations of lack of money (pay inequality) and doors being slammed (violence) to images of domestic and sexual violence; the very last allegory I’ll leave for you to uncover yourself, snake and all. Green aims to destroy the patriarchy in Royal Hotel by any means; even if she alone cannot turn tides worldwide, at least she has the ability to do so with her own creation here. It’s a cautionary tale — and victory — for those who are tired of systemic imbalances and anti-feminism: one that bubbles and bubbles until it cannot contain its fury any longer.

Garner continues her blossoming career on screens big and small as she turns in a believable, textured performance that sticks out in 2023. She feeds into the nerves and timidness of Hanna but welcomes her inevitable fury precisely when it is needed. Beside her is Henwick as Liv who takes on the other heavy lifting of how susceptible unsuspecting people can be in a world that cares not for safety. Together, Garner and Henwick deliver all sides of a hostile, sexist society and the many frightening variations of how women can be taken advantage of. I’m also happy that Green never relies on exploitation with The Royal Hotel despite the heavy subject matter and the opportunities to do so: she gets her point across effectively without feeling the need to unnecessarily abuse these characters we have grown to love over the course of the film. The Royal Hotel is calculated so precisely to evoke the dangers of the world, the anxiety of being caught in awful situations, and the internal anguish women feel and wish to unleash. These feelings are seen and heard. The catharsis is present. The Royal Hotel finds the opportunity present in Hotel Coolgardie, places a very real possibility within these circumstances, and develops a mature, horrifying fable that is likely what plays out in the minds of the cautious. It is a reminder that we can not have nice things because we will always be around unkind people. In the same way, these women find an opportunity out of their element, vultures will find opportunities to prey upon others. The Royal Hotel is not a place you want to stay at, and Kitty Green knows this. Don’t worry: she’s got your back.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.