Bad Times at the El Royale | Film Review

Hey Guys x

I remember when this came out in the cinema, and the only thing that caught me was the names of the actors, most of which I was (and am) a huge fan of. However, while the story itself sounded interesting, it didn't really grab me. Because of this, I only ended up seeing it when it came on the Sky Premiere channels.

A group of strangers come to stay in the El Royale hotel, unaware that they're all about to go through their own redemption stories, helping each other with revenge or forgiveness, as their stories interweave.

I still kind of don't know how I feel about this film. I liked it enough to watch it again but... it's a strange one.

The beginning scene is set up like a play, which was really great from the audience's point of view. It really draws the audience in well before they even begin to understand what's happening. And in a sense, it starts to feel like classic Hollywood, even though it's anything but.

The film has a great group of characters, particularly the first four that go to the hotel. They're all so different from each other, but also so unique when compared to the characters in other movies. When you first meet them, and you get to know them, you feel like you've never met characters like them before.

It's the kind of film where the word 'shady' could be used to describe every single character without exception. There's no one you can safely put your trust in, and even when the film ends you're wondering if there are things that you still don't know.

The two scenes for me that I would describe as 'perfect', were Chris Hemsworth's first scene, and the singing scene with Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Bridges. The former is perfect because of the lighting in that scene, which is a subtle thing that says so much, not only about the character, but about the people around him - it was the perfect introduction to him.
The singing scene was perfect, first of all because Erivo's voice is incredible, and was used in really unique ways to further the story. But more than that, it was such a smart scene, and held more suspense than a lot of the really suspenseful scenes that came before it.

But this film will be really subjective, depending on what you like in a film.

Because you as the audience have no idea what's going on in this film for a really really really long time. One reason for this is because too many of the scenes move ridiculously slowly, and the film is way longer than it needs to be to tell this story. Some of the flashbacks, for example, weren't needed. And at times, it felt like there was too much going on at once, which only made the film more confusing.

Overall, this is a really weird movie with great characters and a lot of unpredictable twists and turns. You won't understand what's going on half the time, but it's got enough going on to keep you entertained (even if you're confused) until the end.

7/10

Lou