Set in rural Queensland, Australia, the movie begins with the discovery of a Aboriginal girl’s body in a drainage pipe under a road. Recently promoted Aboriginal, Jay Swan, newly returned from detective training in the city investigates, and learns the girl, Julie, worked occasionally as a prostitute with truck drivers from a local pick-up point. He finds that his daughter has been in contact with Julie. He discovers that Julie’s death is not the only matter to investigate as another Aboriginal girl had also disappeared.
During the investigation, Jay comes across another detective, Johnno (Hugo Weaving) who he thinks tries to push him away from the case, but finds that Johnno is apparently onto to something bigger than he is inclined to share and is on the cusp of a breakthrough.
The story develops further and there is an interleaving aspect to both Jay and Johnno’s cases which is slowly a deliberately teased out but while giving a good view of the interplay and lack of respect between the Aboriginal people and the mainly white inhabitants of the area around them. This lack of respect has been evident from the lack of concern from residents and police in their lack of interest in the Aboriginal girls going missing – an occurrence which would have been given far more attention and police time and interest if the girls in question had have been white.
I’m not going to give to much more of the plot away, as it is a slow and deliberate working out which is enjoyable to watch, but I will add that the end of the movie has one of the best, and importantly most realistic gun fights I have ever seen in a movie. This is not the usual guns blazing, infinite ammo, and every shot accurate for the good guys. It involves rifle fire over distance and in a way symbolises the whole film, in seeing a slow and deliberate refocusing, realignment and reconsideration which have been applied to the story also applied to the shooting.
Also, after watching the gun battle you’ll really appreciate the astounding job that Lee Harvey Oswald managed in 1963. More info here – https://film-finds.com/jfk-1991/
If you like it, it spawned a follow-up, Goldstone (2016) and also two seasons of a series.

Director: Ivan Sen

Cast: Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten

PRIME (£3.49)

2 hours 01 mins