Review of Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) by Bonnie K — 01 Nov 2018

Four very different people with their own secrets and stories to tell check into a once grand but now faded hotel. It's a tale that's been told many times before. But never like this. Not with so many twists and surprises. Not with so much blood. And probably not with so much style and wit either. This isn't Grand Hotel or Agatha Christie. This is Big Lebowski meets Pulp Fiction, but even darker.

In fact, the whole movie feels like equal parts Coen Brothers and Tarantino. The episodic structure, intersecting storylines, and shocking violence are all straight from Tarantino's playbook, while the disparate cast of shady characters, dark secrets, and touches of black humor are classic Coen. So Bad Times may be a bit derivative, but in the best way possible.

It all starts simply enough. A brief pre-title scene set ten years before the rest of the film establishes the tone, then the main characters arrive, make small talk, and after some delay are checked into their rooms. From here the story just unfolds and unfolds as their agendas are slowly revealed and the twists and revelations build on each other at an ever-increasing rate. This is the kind of movie where nothing is what it first appears, and every time you think that things can't possibly get worse, they do. And like all the best thrillers, this is one that will keep you guessing till the very end.

Goddard has assembled a splendid cast of talented newcomers and experienced stars, and every one of them get their chance to shine. Jeff Bridges is easily the best of the bunch: charming, friendly to a fault, and just the slightest bit fishy as elderly "priest" Father Flynn. Cynthia Erivo also makes a strong impression as a down on her luck but fiercely independent singer with a voice like silk. Hemsworth is downright unsettling for his part. And while Lewis Pullman's young clerk takes the longest to fully develop, his arc may be the most rewarding.

As dark, and frequently violent this picture is, there are some truly touching moments.

From Father Flynn's failing memory to the singer's faded dreams and Emily's broken childhood, these people had hard lives and we feel for them, even as they scheme and two time each other. Even some of the worst people in this movie are as much tragic as evil.

The soundtrack is worth mentioning. Consisting of some of the best rock and soul of the sixties, it deepens the sense of time and place while providing a perfect accompaniment to all the major scenes. And when Cynthia Erivo starts singing, the music takes center stage. If Goddard had wanted to do this as a full on musical she could have made it work.

If this movie has a fault it's that the runtime is rather long, and the ending is a lot to take in at once. But the whole thing is so engaging and masterfully crafted that you won't care. This movie could be three hours and you'd still be eagerly watching till the end.

And what an end it is. Every thread is tied together, every lingering secret revealed, and in a manner more shocking than anything that's come before. What's more, it's also surprisingly profound. In the end Bad Times is actually a message movie. And that message it that there is always time for absolution and a chance for a new start.