“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a newly-released mystery thriller written and directed by Drew Goddard (who also wrote and directed “Cabin in the Woods,” and wrote the screenplay for “The Martian”). This noir-esque film takes place in the late 1960s at a peculiar and once-bustling hotel, called the El Royale, that is affixed directly on the California-Nevada border. We are introduced immediately to the five protagonists of the film: a priest, a vacuum salesman, a singer, a bellboy (who is simultaneously the head of hospitality, the bartender, and every other job in the hotel), and a young angry woman. After their introduction the story unfolds in a classic “several strangers meet at a mysterious place and their stories slowly intertwine” kind of tale, which some may find trope-y, but I personally almost always find charming.
Perhaps the most interesting part of “Bad Times…” is the way that it transforms every single character. We are introduced to five not-so-interesting people at the beginning, and as the true nature of the El Royale is revealed, so too are the true natures of our main characters until we are left with five completely different people (with the addition of a couple more, but I’m going to avoid spoilers in this review) by the end. Everyone’s backstory is fleshed out just enough so that you think you have a good idea as to what type of people they are, save the singer, which leads me to my first gripe about this film: the singers’ story is criminally underdeveloped, and her evolution as a whole throughout the film is lackluster.
The theme of the entire film is that of “choosing a side” in the moral landscape. Everyone in the film deals with challenges that push them to one side or the other, with a few landing right in the middle. I urge anyone planning to see this movie to watch for “choose a side or walk the line between good and evil” symbolism that the film is laden with. Even the hotel, evenly split by a literal state border, represents this theme well, just watch how every character interacts with this line drawn on the ground, and you will have an entirely new appreciation for the attention to detail that Goddard has. The way this theme is expressed, to me, is the best thing about this film. Even one character’s means of selecting a song at a jukebox hint at this theme. Goddard’s subtle hints at this throughout are nothing short of genius, and he has created a universe that truly has no mercy on those who choose “good” or “evil” too early on. The viewers’ perception of every character shifts wildly throughout this movie, and it really feeds into the air of mystery surrounding everything.
Overall, “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a fun film that really makes you care about five strangers meeting in a dusty desert hotel, and blows you away with how easily it can manipulate your perception of said strangers. My only complaint, as I’ve previously stated, is the underdevelopment of one of the protagonists. Aside from this, I would recommend this film to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller/noir/sorryidontknowwhatgenrethisfilmreallyisandneitherwillyou. My numerical rating for the film, as well as my reasoning is provided below.
Setting: 10/10
The setting portrays the theme of the film excellently. And who doesn’t love a good noir set in the dusty 1960/70s American West?
Plot: 8/10
The plot is simple, but not really the point of the movie. It’s more like five plots that become one, and it’s really well done.
Characters: 8/10
Two points for every character, save one singer, who is unfortunately not very well developed.
Theme: 10/10
Read my second-to-last paragraph. The theme is great, one that is very difficult to execute properly, and Goddard nailed it.
Ending: 9/10
I won’t go into detail here to avoid spoilers, but I almost cried when we had to say goodbye to the character I was initially least interested in, so it’s got that going for it.
Soundtrack: 10/10
From the singer’s performances to the music played from the jukebox, the songs really immerse the viewer in the setting, and work perfectly within the film.
Overall: 9/10
Great acting supports some very well-written characters in an intriguing story in Goddard’s newest film. Excellent film, go see it and support original screenplays. Hollywood desperately needs them.
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