A vibrant mystery thriller, Bad Times At The El Royale proves to be an enjoyable ride that is able to pull viewers into its bizarre setting from the very first scene. - 7/10

by The Movie Inspector

A vibrant mystery thriller, Bad Times At The El Royale proves to be an enjoyable ride that is able to pull viewers into its bizarre setting from the very first scene. It is well written and full of surprises but isn’t able to let one be emotionally attached to most of its characters.

To begin with, Drew Goddard who wrote, produced and directed this movie did a great job at setting the right tone and constructing a compelling narrative. The movie follows seven strangers, each with their own secrets as they meet at the El Royale hotel only to realize the dark past it has and the troubles that they could face. 

The performances by the ensemble cast were quite remarkable, especially that of Jeff Bridges and Cynthia Erivo who in fact had the best on screen chemistry. Most of the other characters weren’t able to get viewers that invested despite having great performances. One of the most disappointing things in the movie was Chris Hemsworth’s underwhelming character, I mean there was so much potential with his story arc but it was sadly wasted. 

Stylistically the movie feels similar to a Tarantino flick but doesn’t quite reach its level. However, the movie’s content is interesting enough to get one constantly wondering for a whole 140 minutes, even though a few minutes could’ve easily been cut off the runtime. The first two acts did well on this but the final act was kind of a letdown. 

It also explores themes of forgiveness and redemption in a great way. Sometimes it feels underdeveloped especially with the characters but what it doesn’t do is make you feel bored. Despite all of this, ‘Bad Times At The El Royale’ delivers a good time at the movies so make sure to catch it this weekend!

 

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