Bad Times at the El Royale

The stage can be set thusly: Straddling the border between California and Nevada, not far from Reno and Tahoe, stands a quirky hotel known as the El Royale. It’s been a bustling hub for travelers for years, but recent loss of a gaming license has rendered the venerable roadside pretty much completely empty. Enter at various points a group of seven individuals, each with their own baggage and backstory, and all of them about to collide in unexpected ways. We have a seemingly wayward preacher, a singer, a vacuum salesman, a young girl taken in by a strange crowd, her worried and angry sister, the man they’re both concerned with in some way, and the hotel’s bellhop/effective manager. As we progress through the night, blood is shed, and we learn how these people came to be at the El Royale in their current state and what bearing that has on how the night finishes.

What really struck me about this film is how engrossing it becomes. We’re teased with a little bit at the very beginning, given some more about the characters, then we learn where they came from, then some more, then backstory, and so on. I can understand how this description could leave the impression that the narrative is tedious and repetitive, but writer/director Drew Goddard (whom you might remember from The Cabin in the Woods and from penning the adaptation of The Martian) somehow pulls off a story where we’re drip-fed several streams of information in a very deliberately-paced manner and with a very satisfying feeling throughout. Things feel very Tarantino-esque, with long-feeling scenes loaded with fun and engaging dialogue (not quite QT’s, but it’s pretty damn solid nonetheless) and punctuated by some violence. We’re never quite sure which characters are gonna make it to the next scene, much less the end, maintaining a welcomely unique sense of suspense.

Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography (also on display in Nocturnal Animals, Godzilla, and The Greatest Showman, among others) is stylish without being overly flashy, enriching the hotel’s colors with just the right kind of rusting vibrancy for the setting. Michael Giacchino’s score emphasizes the drama and gloom that we’re inundated with from scene one (not surprising from the man who nabbed himself an Oscar for his work on Up). Meanwhile, the soundtrack, featuring such bangers as Deep Purple’s “Hush”, the Box Tops’ “The Letter”, and the American Breed’s “Bend Me, Shape Me”, balances the score with life, fun, and even a touch of tension and excitement. As a bonus treat Cynthia Erivo provides her own rendition of a few songs, including the Isley Brothers’ “This Old Heart of Mine” and the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and she brings the heat (not being all that familiar with her at all, this was a pleasant surprise). The rest of the cast doesn’t disappoint at all, every actor trying their damnedest to embody their respective characters’ mindsets throughout.

All told, Bad Times is anything but, a fantastic thriller that never overplays its hands and somehow never overstays its welcome, regardless of its relatively lengthy runtime. I heartily recommend it, though I can also easily understand others walking away either annoyed or disappointed, what with the off-kilter presentation and leisurely pacing.