BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Bad Times at the El Royale is a 2018 crime thriller. Directed by Drew Goddard and released by 20th Century Fox, it follows a number of folks at the El Royale--a once prestigious hotel on the border of California and Nevada, where seedy individuals are often driven. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Bridges, with Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, and Lewis Pullman also providing their talents. It was met with fairly mixed reception among critics, but audiences seem to like it more. It also was a box office failure, despite the relatively low budget compared to most Hollywood films ($30 million). So I watched this yesterday (at time of writing) and I gotta say: contrary to the title, this is a cracking good time.

A film like Bad Times doesn't need flashy CGI and the like, but it would need to carry itself with style and energy regardless. With the mastermind of Cabin in the Woods at its helm, the film succeeds in this regard. For one, the hotel looks excellent and suits the story pitch perfect. The performances are top-notch, with a stellar turn by Hemsworth as a charismatic cult leader type personality who's as threatening as he is charming. The music is snappy and fits tonally, with some licensed songs to the soundtrack which work for more than background noise. It's remarkably well polished overall.

The narrative is exceptional, weaving together multiple threads in a way which allows the story to stack layers on top of layers until it reaches a satisfying conclusion. Its cast of characters is intriguing and each member of it plays into the story well. The dialogue is great and helps some characters feel more distinct from one another in terms of how they're written. Though the film clocks in at 2 hours and 22 minutes, its pacing never left me feeling as if it was plodding along or wasting my time. In fact, I was consistently riveted. To me, there's no such thing as a film that is "too long", so long as it is paced well, and I think Bad Times has smoother pacing than some may give it credit for.

Bad Times at the El Royale is an awesome flick that I enjoyed far more than I expected going in. It definitely doesn't deserve to have done as poorly as it did, and I urge you to seek it out if you missed it and it seems up your alley. You may not enjoy it as much as I did, but I think you'll definitely have a good time with it. Bad Times at the El Royale gets a 10/10 from me.

Master-class

Summary:
An impeccable and complex narrative, phenomenal performances, excellent production values, strong dialogue, and tight pacing which keeps its admittedly long runtime from ever dragging.