Bad Times at the El Royale review

Bad Times at the El Royale is a lot of things. It's ambitious, it's unique and most of all it's deliriously entertaining. The story follows a group of strangers who meet up at the El Royale hotel, a hotel with a dark past sitting on the border between Nevada and California. But the hotel isn't the only thing with a dark past as the characters who end up checking in each too have a secret of their own. The cast is really impressive as you've got Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and more. Each don't interact with one another all that much throughout and it just adds to the suspicion and intrigue that you almost immediately get when the characters are introduced. The setting is mostly in the hotel and it too is also a character of it's own with various rooms filled with dark pasts and an overall sense of creepiness.

The pacing is excellent throughout as it jumps from one's character perspective to another as the night drags on and the tension heats up it's brilliantly made and the performances add even more depth to the movie as a whole. Jeff Bridges is really convincing throughout, Jon Hamm is hilarious if a bit under developed and Dakota Johnson is proper mysterious. But it's Chris Hemsworth's performance that really stands out. Not on screen for all that long his performance is completely demented as he ends up holding all the people inside of the hotel hostage in a final act that is equal parts tension filled and explosive.

With some great characters and a pace that feels relentless at times Bad Times at the El Royale is one of the most interesting and original movies you'll see all year. It's immensely enjoyable throughout in what doesn't even feel like it's over 120 minute running time. With Hemsworth's bonkers performance and some really mysterious yet well leveled out characters Bad Times at the El Royale is one of the most enjoyable movies of 2018. A must see!

★★★★