10 Gripping Neo-Noirs You Must See Before You Die
4. Mystery Road
Far away from the street-lit nights of Los Angeles, Ivan Sen's noir-western instead subjects the viewer to the blistering heat and blinding sun of the Australian outback. This hostile wasteland provides the backdrop for Aboriginal detective Jay's investigation into the discovery of the body of a young indigenous girl - and a sinister racket that goes far deeper than just the one murder.
Jay, an outsider to everyone, is stonewalled at every turn - from racist farmers to his own superiors in the police force. Alienated by his white colleagues and ostracised by the indigenous population who feel betrayed by him, Jay has no one to turn to, but presses on through sheer grit, determined not to let another murder victim be forgotten.
Mystery Road's social commentary is front and centre throughout - it's a sad snapshot of Australia's ongoing racial tensions, of forgotten communities and an appalling lack of concern for its indigenous people. While the film moves ponderously between dilapidated ghettos, scorched farm land and hazy plains, the atmosphere weighs heavy, finally reaching an explosive finale with one of the most unique cinematic shootouts in recent memory.