Bad Times at the El Royale Review

Bad Times at the El Royale is a great mystery thriller despite its long running time. This movie is about seven mysterious strangers who meet at the El Royale hotel in the 60s. Jeff Bridges gives his best performance in years. Newcomer Cynthia Ervio gives a really good performance and her scenes with Bridges are among the strongest in the film. Jon Hamm gives a decent performance, but I wish his character had a larger role. Caile Spaeny gives a good performance in a smaller role. Lewis Pullman delivers a complex star-making performance. Dakota Johnson gives a great performance. Her character is one of the most layered and interesting people in the film. However, the star of this movie by far is Chris Hemsworth. He steals every single scene he is in and all the film’s best moments involve him. Drew Goddard did a fantastic job directing. He definitely is taking inspiration from Tarantino but he makes it his own. The script, also written by Goddard, is a complex mystery filled with compelling characters. If it were not for a few moments that do not deliver on the full potential, the script would be flawless. As is though it's extremely well written. The cinematography, especially in the outside scenes, was beautiful to look at. The editing, while nothing stood out, was good as well. The music was fantastic and really helped build the unique atmosphere of this world. At 140 minutes the movie could easily lose 15 minutes to tighten up the pace just a little bit. Also, while necessary, the first hour does move quite slow. Overall I had a great time with Bad Times at the El Royale and recommend it especially for mystery fans.

8/10