The Royal Hotel is a 2023 Australian psychological thriller film directed by Kitty Green and co-written by her and Oscar Redding. It stars Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick as Liv and Hanna, two young backpackers from Canada traveling across Australia who run out of money and reluctantly take up jobs as bartenders at the remote Royal Hotel pub in the Outback.
The film opens with Liv and Hanna partying on a cruise ship in Sydney. When their credit cards stop working, they realize they are broke. Desperate for money, they take up a job offer to work as bartenders at the Royal Hotel in a remote mining town in the Outback.
Upon arriving at the hotel, they meet Billy, the grumpy owner, and Carol, the hotel’s chef and Billy’s partner, who manages most of the hotel’s operations. Liv and Hanna also meet the two British backpackers, Cassie and Jules, they are replacing. Cassie and Jules seem to enjoy working at the bar, partying with the patrons, and appear oblivious to the seedy nature of the place.
As Liv and Hanna’s first shift begins, they are introduced to the regulars, including the flirtatious Matty, the quiet and intense Teeth, and the creepy Dolly. While Liv tries to take things in stride, Hanna feels increasingly uncomfortable with the casual sexism, lewd jokes, and inappropriate advances of the male patrons.
One night, Billy gets injured and has to be taken to the hospital by Carol, leaving Liv and Hanna in charge. With Billy gone, the atmosphere becomes more ominous. The drunken miners become more aggressive in their behavior towards Liv and Hanna.
The Royal Hotel Ending Explained
Towards the end, Carol returns and warns Liv and Hanna about the growing danger and suggests they make some quick money and leave that weekend.
On their final night, Liv’s birthday party descends into chaos. A drunk Dolly tries to forcibly take Liv to the hills. Hanna stops him by slashing his car’s tires. This leads to a fight between Hanna and Matty, where Hanna gets injured.
Seeing Hanna hurt, Liv snaps out of her drunken state and the two women reunite. Teeth then gets into an altercation with Dolly as both men try to claim Liv.
Ultimately, Hanna and Liv have had enough. They start destroying the bar, breaking the beer bottles and dousing alcohol everywhere. In the final scene, they use a lighter to set the Royal Hotel on fire and walk away into the Outback as the hotel burns down behind them.
The ending signifies Hanna and Liv taking a stand against the toxic, misogynistic behavior they endured at the hotel. Rather than leave quietly, they retaliate by burning down the establishment that allowed such an unsafe environment for women. Their defiant act serves as a cathartic ending for the audience.
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While The Royal Hotel has earned praise for its tension and performances, the ending has proven divisive. Some feel Hanna and Liv’s violent retaliation betrays the film’s otherwise realistic tone. Others see it as a satisfying and defiant concluding act.
Regardless of the ending’s reception, The Royal Hotel works as a well-acted thriller that offers a disturbing look at the experience of young female backpackers in a predatory environment. Kitty Green cements herself as a rising talent able to wring suspense out of seemingly ordinary settings.
