Liv(JessicaHenwick)andHanna(JuliaGarner),twoCanadianwomenonvacationinAustralia,runoutofmoney.Desperate,theytakeajobbartendinginaremotedesertOutbackhotel,onlytorealizethey’vestumbledintoasun-struckpatchofHell-on-Earth.Writer-directorKittyGreenadapts,withco-screenwriterOscarRedding,atruestorythatstartsasafeministparableanddevelopsintoatauthorror-thriller.BothGarner(reunitedwithGreenaftertheirstunningTHEASSISTANT)andHenwickareriveting,asisHugoWeavinginanall-too-briefrole.GreenandcoscreenwriterOscarReddingdon’tidealizetheirheroinesinthepoliticallycorrectwayyoumightexpect:LivandHannaareneitherGirlScoutsnorvictims.Asthethreatofmisogynistviolencerises,drinkbydrink,scenebyscene,Greendeepensthefilm’scoretheme:uglybehaviorandcasualdisregardforotherhumansishighlycontagious.
