Review of Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) by Maxx D — 29 Dec 2018

Proof that a cast full of talent can only do so much to save a laborious, long-winded script, Bad Times At The El Royale has sporadic moments of intrigue, and the occasional flash of humour, but the film itself is about 30 IQ points below where it believes itself to be.

The screenplay is rambling and full of would-be witty aphorisms which are more pointless than profound, and almost the entire 3rd act is a hostage situation full of characters I cared so little about that whether they lived or died was of pure indifference to me.

Chris Hemsworth turns up as an ab-flashing, cult leading ne'er-do-well, who spouts a load philosophical nonsense before being killed off, and I was at a loss as to how I should feel about it. The problem is a total lack of emotional investment.

Why are we supposed to care about any of these characters? They all have shady pasts or dark secrets, but not enough is done to make them relatable, to the point that when they started getting killed it's a blessed relief, since it means one less person to add to the already bloated runtime.

There's no way the film needed to exceed 2 hours, and the 3rd act is most to blame for this. The acting is great and I loved the soundtrack, since it's composed largely of Motown tunes. But rather than complimenting a scene or adding to an emotion, the songs more often feel like filler.

Bad Times At The El Royale is a movie full of talent but largely bereft of purpose, and it outstays its welcome by a comfortable half hour.