Checked In, Trapped Out: The Royal Hotel’s Tense Descent

“The Royal Hotel” is a slow-burn psychological thriller that hooks you with its premise but doesn’t quite deliver the payoff you might expect. Directed by Kitty Green and starring Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick as Hanna and Liv, two American backpackers, the film drops these women into the harsh, male-dominated Australian Outback, where they take up temporary jobs at a rundown pub.

The setup is dripping with tension—remote isolation, boorish locals, and an undercurrent of menace that keeps you on edge, waiting for something awful to erupt. Garner, as the wary and vigilant Hanna, is a standout, channeling a quiet intensity that makes you feel her mounting dread. Henwick’s Liv, more carefree and naive, complements her well, highlighting the friction between caution and recklessness.

The film excels at building atmosphere. The Royal Hotel itself feels like a character—grimy, oppressive, and steeped in a toxic masculinity that’s both mundane and chilling. Green’s direction is deliberate, lingering on awkward silences and leering stares, forcing you to sit with the discomfort women often navigate in such spaces. It’s not a jump-scare horror but a creeping unease that mirrors real-life experiences, which is where its strength lies. The supporting cast, including Hugo Weaving as the alcoholic pub owner Billy and Daniel Henshall as the unsettling Dolly, adds layers of unpredictability.

But here’s where it falters: after all that buildup, the climax feels rushed and oddly unsatisfying. The girls torch the place and walk away—a moment of catharsis that’s meant to empower but lands as abrupt and disproportionate. It’s not that I wanted gratuitous violence (the film wisely avoids that trap), but the resolution doesn’t fully wrestle with the complexity it spent 80 minutes establishing. The characters’ motivations, especially Liv’s, can feel thin, and the ending left me questioning whether the story earned its fiery punctuation.

Critics seem split—some praise its restraint and feminist lens, others knock it for not going far enough or for pacing that drags. I’d land in the middle. It’s a film that’s more about mood than plot, and if you’re patient, it’s a compelling study of gendered power dynamics. But if you’re expecting a tight narrative or a big payoff, you might leave disappointed. It’s worth a watch for Garner’s performance and the sweaty, claustrophobic vibe, but don’t check in expecting a five-star thriller.

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