I’d say the only reason that director Drew Goddard probably got funding for this film is simply pitching to the studio that we see a semi-naked Chris Hemsworth dancing. What a time is to be alive.
Bad Times at the El Royale features a stellar cast that is all involved in a very intricate plot line. All of which comes to ahead and based around when 4 characters happen by chance to be staying at the El Royal.
Among the cast it features Dakota Fanning (Emily Summerspring), Jon Hamm (Dwight Broadbeck), Jeff Bridges (Father O’Kelly) and Cynthia Erivo (Darlene Sweet). All of these characters come to the hotel with secrets, all of which unravel as their stay at the hotel goes on.
The film is really enjoyable, which is rare considering that the film itself is over 2 hours long. But the film dangles enough secrets for us the audience that we are very much invested to find out how all these characters’ journeys develop and how they end. Even when you think that the plot will go one way it does a 180, but not outrageously where you could fall out with the plot. Just enough to where you will find yourself invested to the very end.
All the major cast have very good chemistry with each other, even if their interactions are very short. Which is a major compliment that I can give to the film.
The visual aspects of the film are really amazing. Godard throws in little subtle hints in stuff like the use of rain and fire to show slowly that as the film is progressing, it is a long way away from the sunny opening that is found at the beginning.
One thing that baffles me is how I didn’t really see much advertisement for this film. Apart from a trailer I saw about 3 months ago, I haven’t really seen anything else before it. Not like the promotion of First Man or Venom.
The film isn’t even that mad experimental that it could lose the general public. The film does very much share the same influence of that as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction and those films basically established the career of Quentin Tarantino.
An excellent film under the genre of a good thriller/ mystery film, Bad Times at the El Royale, it is a stunning journey over two hours that will definitely keep the audience entertained.
By Emmet McCabe