There's a lot of great stuff to see at the movies right now, but if you have the time I urge you to see Bad Times at the El Royale, one of the best original movies recently. I want people to go into this with as few plot details as possible, so all I'll say is that a group of people wind up in each other's company in a hotel on the border of California and Nevada called the El Royale. Each person has secrets and those secrets lead to, as the title suggests, some bad times.
This film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, and Lewis Pullman. Bridges doesn't stray far from his typical style of acting but I really liked his character. He's a character that will give you conflicting thoughts which is something I much enjoyed. Jon Hamm is hilarious in the movie, bringing a hilarious southern accent and a spunky attitude in a lot of scenes that worked perfectly. I hadn't heard of Cynthia Erivo before this film but with this and Widows she is poised for a great year. Despite the endless amount of talent in this film Erivo was the biggest standout to me. She not only turns in a stellar performance, but she also sings in the film and sings beautifully. This is unrelated to her acting but there is one scene with her singing that features a fantastic long take, and you know I love those. Dakota Johnson didn't impress me as much as I expected, her performance is good but fails to show anything new and her character wasn't always interesting. Chris Hemsworth is crazy in this movie. I'm sure some of his fans will be happy to hear that he spends much of his time in the film shirtless, but aside from that he delivers a bonkers performance that I loved. Cailee Spaeny is another name I didn't know going into this and if I'm being honest I'd say she's the weakest of the seven central characters. Her character is decently intriguing but it didn't feel like she brought anything special to the role. Alongside Erivo in surprise standouts is Lewis Pullman, son of the great Bill Pullman. He plays the El Royale's lobby boy and does an incredible job of showing that over the top charm you get with a lobby boy while also having something darker behind all that. With a cast so star-studded it's great to see relative unknowns like Erivo and Pullman shining as brightly as they both did.
While I loved the cast the main thing pulling me to this film was Cabin in the Woods director, Drew Goddard, back in the director's chair for his sophomore effort. Where Cabin in the Woods is a clever meta-horror film, this is much more along the lines of an early-Tarantino film. It balances elements of a crime thriller, a whodunnit, and a dark comedy very well and crafts a truly unique film. There was never a point where I had a clue where the film was going, and there are constantly surprises and shocks. The intrigue and excitement Goddard produces is complemented by some incredibly pacing, making this near two and a half hour movie fly by. Adding to the early-Tarantino vibe of the film is the way it is cut together. Goddard not only uses flashbacks really well to flesh out characters, but he is constantly rewinding scenes to give us another character's point of view on events in the film. This style of storytelling is not only really intriguing but also at one point makes for a hilarious transition. I also can't discuss this film without talking about what I'm going to say is the best production design of the entire year so far. The detail in which the El Royale is crafted makes it almost become a character in its own right, with its bright colours and bizarre design lending themselves beautifully to the cooky story Goddard has built.
If I had one complaint for the film it's that the dark comedy dwindles a bit as the movie goes on. It is insanely strong early on and then fizzles out a bit, and while I still loved what I was watching, I think a bit more consistency with the comedic tone would have made it just a bit better.
If you're looking for a film that will pose questions and then give you answers stay away, because this film leaves a lot up in the air. But if you're looking for a wholly original film that will puzzle you from start to finish and leave you talking about it long after you've left the theatre, check out Bad Times at the El Royale. This is a movie I'm sure I'll grow to love even more the more I watch and I can't wait to see it again.
Rating: 4.25/5
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