BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – “A mesmerizing neo-noir done right”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods – 2012)
STARRING
- Jeff Bridges as Daniel Flynn, a criminal masquerading as a priest
- Cynthia Erivo as Darlene Sweet, a struggling singer
- Dakota Johnson as Emily Summerspring, a Southern criminal
- Jon Hamm as Seymour "Laramie" Sullivan, a vacuum cleaner salesman
- Cailee Spaeny as Rose Summerspring, Emily's younger sister, a cult member
- Lewis Pullman as Miles Miller, a concierge at the hotel
- Chris Hemsworth as Billy Lee, a cult leader
SYNOPSIS
The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Bad Times At The El Royale is an exceedingly mesmerizing neo-noir film done right. There are going to be some Tarantino parallels made, but this never feels like a cheap knock-off. The characters are enjoyably intriguing thanks in part to great performances across the board. Jon Hamm proves he is always reliably good and Chris Hemsworth is entertaining as all hell. And while Jeff Bridges shows he’s still got great acting chops, it’s Cynthia Erivo who pretty much steals things with a magical (and musical) performance. There are a few slower moments that take the steam out of things, including an overly extended ending with way too much dialogue. However, in the the end, Bad Times At The El Royale is a guaranteed GOOD time at the El Cinema!
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
$9 million
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Spy x Family Code: White
$4.9 million