You don’t see a film like Bad Times at the El Royale every day.
The new movie from The Cabin in the Woods writer/director Drew Goddard features an ensemble cast of characters with secret pasts and motivations.
They all converge at an out-of-the-way, past-its-best hotel straddling the line between California and Nevada. None of the guests could have possibly expected the way their night at the El Royale would turn out.
The wacky film – which is kind of like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, but also completely different – is probably not for everyone.
It jumps back and forward in time and follows different perspectives on the same event, which can be frustrating for some viewers.
But the cast of characters are so intriguing and have such interesting backstories that – once you’ve committed yourself to the journey of the film – it’s impossible not to be enthralled.
We first meet aspiring singer Darlene Sweet (Broadway star Cynthia Erivo) and fake priest Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges, Only the Brave) as they arrive at the El Royale.
They then run into travelling vacuum salesman Laramie S. Sullivan (Jon Hamm, Baby Driver) – who is more than what he seems – and hotel manager Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman, Battle of the Sexes) who warns that the El Royale is ‘no place for a priest’.
The mysterious Emily (Dakota Johnson, Fifty Shades of Grey) arrives next and later we meet the even more mysterious Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth, The Avengers).
Over the course of the rainy night, we learn more and more about each character and the traumas that have led them to this point in their lives. The night descends into violence, confessions and a little karaoke.
In fact, music plays a huge part in Bad Times at the El Royale. As the film takes place in the late 60s, there are plenty of Motown tunes to set the scene.
If you’re willing to take a chance on an out-of-the-box movie that’s going to take you on a ride, Bad Times at the El Royale is certainly worth it.
However, if you’re only interested in seeing Chris Hemsworth, you might be a little disappointed – he doesn’t have a great deal of screen time.