Bad Times at the El Royale

Bad Times at the El Royale

Starring Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth

Directed by Drew Goddard

The Story:
Seven strangers - Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), lounge singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), hippie Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), vacuum salesman Dwight Broadbeck (Jon Hamm), Emily's sister Rose (Cailee Spaney), cult leader Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth), and concierge Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman) - find themselves at the El Royale motel, where no one is who they claim to be, and mysterious abound.

The Synopsis:
Drew Goddard has written some of film's most recent hits, including "Cloverfield" and "The Martian," and directed the meta-horror flick "The Cabin in the Woods," so he's got some pedigree when it comes to both writing and directing fantastic films.  "Bad Times at the El Royale" is a film that he wrote, and also directed, yet you'd think it was an adaptation of a classic noir novel.  The film is a throwback to the classic film noir films of yore, and Goddard pulls out all the stops to give an entertaining, thought-provoking, bloody, insane ride - and we're more than happy to pay the ticket price.

Seven strangers find themselves at the nearly-abandoned El Royale motel - a motel that's build literally on the border of California and Nevada - and it seems to be the perfectly seedy place for such strangers to be - as each one of them has their own dark pasts.  The people they pretend to be in front of other people are vastly different than who they really are, and the fun part of the film is trying to figure out who is who, and why they're all at this motel in the first place.  Using cue cards to divide the film between the patrons, Goddard spends a good amount of time on each character and fully fleshes them out so we can really get to know them and feel an emotional pull toward them - even though it makes the film run a lengthy 141 minutes, it seemed to fly by for me, and I actually left the theater wanting more.

Each actor gives great performances here, and each of them deserve recognition.  There's no supporting roles here, as each character is given a front-and-center performance at one point or another, and as we pull the strings together, we begin to notice that not all of them are there by accident.  The writing is quick, on-point, and specific.  The directing is tight, personal, and bold.  The cinematography is absolutely stunning: the film takes place seemingly around 1970 (although it's never specified), and everything - from the costumes to the cars, and especially the motel itself - gives off that classic noir vibe.

The only downside to the film is its final act, which seems to propel the film from zero to a hundred in seconds, after spending such quality time piecing the puzzle pieces together, it seems like Goddard just threw the entire puzzle on the ground with the ending.  That's not to say the ending was bad - it was actually really good, and really suspenseful - but it felt too rushed.  That's the part where I wished there was more, even though the film was already too long in many peoples' minds, I enjoyed it much more than watching a 90 minute snooze-fest.

Jeff Bridges plays Father Daniel Flynn, who is first noticed in the film as standing in front of the Royale in a daze.  He's spotted by lounge singer Darlene Sweet, played by Cynthia Erivo, who wants to better her own life after being stuck as a backup singer.  The odd friendship between these two mismatched people are the heart of the film, and they're the most developed characters - the ones we really care about.

Jon Hamm excels as the annoying vacuum cleaner salesman who has an entirely different skill set, and Lewis Pullman plays the young concierge of the El Royale in a very mysterious fashion - especially after we find out the secret hallway that allows him to see everyone in their rooms.  Dakota Johnson plays Emily, while Cailee Spaney plays her sister Rose, and it's their story that serves as the dark threatening tone throughout the film, especially since both are connected to Chris Hemsworth's Billy Lee, whose arrival at the El Royale spells danger for everyone who haplessly finds themselves there.

The marketing of the film really added to the mystique of the movie itself, as not even I had a clue as to what I was expecting when I walked into the theater, and for films nowadays who generally give away the entire thing in the trailer, I found it to be a breath of fresh air.  I like to be surprised, and "El Royale" surprised me in how great the film was from start to finish.

The Summary:
With a strong ensemble cast, acclaimed director and writer, and a wholly original story, "Bad Times at the El Royale" gives a classic noir film a fresh perspective, serving up a fantastic story with solid characterizations and amazing cinematography.

The Score: A