Goldstone

A superb thriller set in an otherworldly desert outback in Australia, Goldstone is a simmering drama about the intersection of corruption and the lives of dispossessed or otherwise victimized people. Aaron Pedersen is outstanding as a federal cop named Jay Swan, a broken-down indigenous middle-aged drunkard who—despite a messed-up life—has his detective wits about him and isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. Turning up in Goldstone to investigate a missing young woman, Jay collides with local cop Josh Waters (Alex Russell), who is younger than Jay and white. At the center of the drama is a not-terribly-secret conspiracy by the mayor (Jacki Weaver) and a mining company to dig on land reserved for aboriginal people. A band of goons serve as enforcers, keeping resistance at bay (sometimes with lethal intent). While Josh is not on the take or directly benefiting from the mayor’s illegal machinations, he goes along to get along, bristling when Jay suggests that Josh is nonetheless complicit. A related subplot about trafficked Chinese women adds to the general monstrousness of the town, a frontier outpost comprised of clusters of trailers and portable offices (the kind seen at construction sites). Writer-director Ivan Sen patiently lays all the pieces of this puzzle out while skillfully taking viewers towards the thrilling climax. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)