The biggest disadvantage of living in a small town is that any illegal occurrence can be easily covered up by the local authorities. That’s not exactly what happens in “Goldstone”, but it’s close enough o have this matter discussed broadly.

Set in the Australian town of Goldstone, the story tells about Jay Swan, who arrives in the county to inquire about a case of a missing girl. This seemingly ordinary matter turns into an investigation related to sexual exploitation, kidnapping, and corruption. Joined by a local police officer Josh – a pretty idealistic person, Swan slowly dives into the dangerous world where certain people still want to retain the power that allows them to imagine themselves kings on this territory.

Goldstone is a small town which has a very little population – much less than an average town of its size. Maria is a resident of this town, and it is her daughter that has gone missing. Thus, she turns to detective Jay Swan to investigate the case. Soon we meet the town’s Mayor (Jackie Weaver) and the local businessman named Johnny. And we quickly realize why it’s been smart of Maria to seek the help of someone who comes from outside this town.  Josh turns out the only man in power who is not corrupted. Yet, he is soft and kind-hearted, which prevents him from being an aggressive cop. That will change as soon as he realizes the true danger that comes from those people who are meant to be role models in the community.

Written and directed by Ivan Sen, “Goldstone” is a modern cowboy story. And those guys are worth an entire SWAT team. With a thrilling concept, impressive storytelling and staying true to the definition of the crime/thriller genre, Sen’s piece is another compelling film from Australia that is simply brilliant at tackling such an important subject matter, which by all mean should never be missed.  The film well deserves its 10 award wins and 16 nominations, including several awards from the Australian Film Critics Association.