I found this film by accident as I didn't realise that they had made a sequel to the very intriguing and dark Mystery Road. Our lead is sent on a case again in the middle of nowhere in Australia, but he is a wreck (not surprising when you look back on the first film). Anyhow, he ends up having to liaise with a local cop who is passive on all the ills he sees round him, and each is a foil for the other. There is mass corruption and life to some others is worthless, or local cop can end up in either direction, especially as he takes an emotional investment in the goings on of Human Trafficking of young Chinese women.So what we have is a case of redemption? Will the local cop leave the world as it is, or challenge the immorality? Everyone else seems to just play along, but our lead says no! Will the local cop back him or not?Like this film this is sumptuous, and the real star is the glorious cinematography, which contrasts the dark heart of the human soul. Yet we have hope in it all.Our lead is as intriguing as ever, and his own failings are something that endear you to him. I'm very happy they made this film, as we continue the journey. There's a Mad Max element to the lead character & story (albeit no fantasy), but it's still violent and unforgiving.Again, this is a case worth investigating, and I can't wait to the next film in this series. Very dark yet very beautiful to watch, there's a heart in this movie and you will find it. Deserves better than the ratings so far have given it credit for.

This was a very well done movie! The acting was superb and the screen writing was as well too. I really appreciated the quality of this movie and the acting which was so life like and authentic. I really appreciate movies like these that rely on the actors and not special affects or big names. Well done! Bravo.

Since his debut Australian film Beneath Clouds in 2002, Aussie director Ivan Sen (who also often writes, edits, scores and acts as DOP on his films) has developed an impressive resume of local films, often tinged with Aboriginal themes and undertones, that has seen the talented filmmaker reach a peak with Toomelah in 2011, but his greatest success audience wise, 2013's Mystery Road has now allowed him to develop one of the most surprising follow-ups in recent memories with the return of Aaron Pedersen's detective Jay Swan in Goldstone.Mystery Road was a proficient if slightly underwhelming police thriller but Aboriginal detective Swan offered a unique and intriguing central figure for audiences to lay hold on and the film also showcased Sen's ability to work on a bigger canvass than he previously had participated on.Building on the groundwork of that film, Goldstone feels like both a bigger event and a higher reaching one and while this time around Swan feels like more of a shell of his previous self, here he is unkempt and a clear alcoholic, Sen is entering new ground with this thriller which finds itself tinged in Australian themes, language and folklore but also not that far removed from fever dream mystery's not dissimilar to late 90 European nature and the town of Goldstone offer's Sen a playground of ideas that touches on all things from our lands natural resources, its past histories, people smuggling the very nature of small town life in the harsh surrounds of the Australian outback.Sen has always been a visually talented director and Goldstone shines in this department, the neon signs of Goldstone's seedy establishments offer much intrigue and seedy vibes while the films sparsely used yet moody score fits in well with the Wending-Refn feels.Goldstone also boasts a fantastic support cast for Pedersen's rather disappointing return as Swan, with Alex Russell's local police offer Josh, David Wenham's shorts wearing mining boss Johnny, David Gulpilil's tragic Aboriginal elder Jimmy and Jacki Weaver's local mayor Maureen all providing the film with a collection of floored human beings that showcases Sen's ability as a writer, much like he did with Toomelah.Filled with striking visuals, Goldstone is much more than the simple story of Jay Swan's hunt for a missing Chinese national and while it's disappointing for the film that Pedersen and Jay Swan as a character are the films biggest weaknesses, this surprising sequel with a significantly touching end coda is one of 2016's very best local film products and another step for Sen that seems to suggest there's a genuine Australian classic lying in wait for his taking.3 ½ cakes out of 5

A wonderfully slow paced movie that gives you time to chew on the underlying fat of what is so screwed up with the Aussie outback political culture. Ivan Sen does not leave anything out, touching on the Stolen Generation, the rape and pillage by mining companies on sacred land, the destruction and disintegration of the Indigenous culture, and even the exploitation in the sex slave trade. It is ugly, almost revisiting that icon Australian movie, WAKE IN FRIGHT.It sometimes takes an outsider to see what is so wrong with a country, as Ted Kotcheff did with Wake In Fright, Louis Malle with Alamo Bay and Wim Wenders with almost everything he made in America. But Australia has its very own soul searching local filmmaker in Ivan Sen, who peels away those layers a bit at a time, with every layer revealing the true ugliness of this country.The plus side was the technical aspect, with the cinematography being the added bonus, perfectly capturing the mood in the isolated remote locations. Once again that was superbly handled by the director himself, who also had a hand in the music.If you are searching for a fast paced action thriller, than keep away from this movie. But if you desire to be challenged and mentally stimulated without having topics shoved down your throat, than seek this movie out, and enjoy what it has to offer.