Alice Eve jumps on a horse and rides into Gold Rush town in this intriguing western. She’s Charlotte Lockton, a well-heeled Brit struggling to settle in 1860s New Zealand with her husband when their baby son is snatched by intruders. Devastated, she’s given hope by an anonymous note claiming he is still alive. Following the clues, she heads for a remote town in a wagon full of prostitutes (including Honey, played by the film’s writer Emily Corcoran). Culture clashes keep things interesting on the journey, and the pace quickens when they arrive at Goldtown and encounter a brothel lorded over by a stiff, posh British man, who is of course played by Jack Davenport. ‘Rocky Horror’ creator Richard O’Brien also puts in a rare appearance.
‘The Stolen’ doesn’t dig too deep into its characters, so it’s not the emotionally devastating watch it could have been. But it has something to say about a penniless woman’s plight in the era, and it’s engaging and refreshing on several counts – not least the fact that it’s a female-focused western set in New Zealand. One for fans of ‘The Beguiled’ and ‘The Keeping Room’.