When globetrotting backpackers Hanna and Liv (Julia Garner & Jessica Henwick) run out of money in Sydney, they reluctantly agree to take temporary jobs at a seedy outback pub. The local incel yobsare delighted at having fresh meat in town; rivalries emerge. The girls less enthusiastic.

Things start out poor (“Did he just call me a cunt?”), and go downhill from there, but they reckon they can tough out their time there. The regulars, mostly miners, are not the nation’s finest, needless to say, and with each new boozy outburst and social inappropriateness, the two, to differing degrees, start to reevaluate their decision to come there.

Writer/director Kitty Green (The Assistant) and co-writer Oscar Redding excel in building a steady sense of dread, using offhand remarks, a knowing glance, the inexplicit. Their often-silent character building is equally subtle and effective, and the camerawork adds volumes to the growing horror. It’s pretty clear things will explode at some point. We just have no idea when, or who will suffer. 

P.S. A fine film for fans of the triple Emmy-winning Julia Garner from Ozark. (91 min)