GOLDSTONE

Director Ivan Sen – who also wrote, filmed, edited and scored this drama-driven thriller – must be complemented for producing a gem, marvelled for its masterful production values and the breathtaking cinematography of the sun-drenched Australian landscape.

Intrigue and mystery accelerate soon after the ‘Welcome To Goldstone’ sign emerges on screen in the opening scene, and audiences will quickly sense that all is not as it seems in this small and dusty outback town.

In this spin-off to Sen’s previous offering Mystery Road (2014), troubled indigenous detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pederson) returns to hunt for a missing person and discovers a trail of corruption, human trafficking, murder and corporate greed.

Amongst a stellar cast, Jacki Weaver is the standout performer as the unscrupulous mayor, whose venomous sneer, compounded by some of the most devilish dialogue ever scripted for an actress, will mark her as one of the most despised characters in Australian film history.

Resonating themes of the white people’s hold over black communities, the traditions and mythologies all combine in transforming this into one of the most compelling Australian features in recent years. (MMo)

★★★★