"Bad Times at the El Royale" Movie Review

    I think it is very clear on this blog that I am obsessed with movies and the art of filmmaking.  As such, there are writers and directors that I tend to follow or consider more ‘bankable’ than the star of a movie.  After all, the behind the scenes crew is very much the bank bone of a movie.  No amounts of stellar acting can salvage a rubbish premise or script.  So, when I saw Drew Goddard had a new film out, I was pretty excited.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” tells the story of several people who’s paths cross at the El Royale hotel.  It is a period piece with lots of Motown music to set the mood and environment.  The El Royale itself is an interesting set piece because the hotel is on the dividing line of Nevada and California.  While the El Royale is a fictional hotel, it was based on a hotel with a similar gimmick that was owned by Frank Sinatra.

    Drew Goddard tells the story in an interesting way by essentially showing each character’s point of view as a framing device.  It is a unique style and a less confusing way to tell a non linear story.

    The film is packed with solid performances.  Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth are among the standouts of the film but the movie also showcases some up and coming talent such as Cailee Spaeny and Lewis Pullman.  Dakota Johnson, who was often panned for her role in the Fifty Shades franchise, was also very good in this film.

    Now, for all that praise, it’s a shame the movie only proved to be okay at best.  I have seen far worse films in my life, but this film was definitely a disappointment.  In some small defense, the film’s marketing did this movie no favors.  The marketing department wanted to sell this in the vain of Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” when it shares more elements of a movie like “Vacancy” or “Identity”.

    Now, a lot of critics have compared “Bad Times at the El Royale” to a Quentin Tarantino film as far as the overall feeling of the film but I personally don’t share their feelings.  While the non linear story could easily service a Tarantino film, “Bad Times at the El Royale” doesn’t share the grit and profanity of your average Tarantino film.  While the film does have it’s share of violence, it still seems very polished and stylized.  In that sense, it feels more of a hybrid of Tarantino and Joss Whedon.

    Considering how secretive this project was even among those in the industry, there is little to no pay off for people being so hush hush about this project.  That seems to be the biggest twist to this project, there isn’t really one despite all the hints it was filled with them.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a decent film but nothing that will blow you away.  With no twists and a morally ambiguous plot, there is very little to take away from the movie aside from some excellent performances.  Perhaps “Blah Times at the El Royale” would have been a more fitting title.

Grade: C