The Birthday Trip, directed by James Robert Woods, is an arresting new Australian drama that examines the relationships of three couples on a brief luxury retreat in New South Wales’ Southern Highlands.

Generally, Australian films love to feature the landscape in a starring role. But The Birthday Trip is different — despite being set in the rural town of Robertson.

There are some wide shots of green rolling hills. The couples are staying in relative isolation, with only the glum caretaker-come-concierge and his family living in a ramshackle abode nearby. Even so, the bush isn’t the key player here.

The push and pull of relationships

At first, the film feels straightforward. It’s about three childhood friends and their partners celebrating a birthday weekend. The partners have never met before, and over a few days the friends get reacquainted and relationships develop.

We watch the couples eating and drinking together, doing fun holiday stuff (painting, badminton, stargazing) and then debriefing alone in the privacy of their fancy cottages.

But a palpable tension quickly sets in as the film deepens its........

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