Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
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The story
Set in the late 1960s, the film follows six strangers and an employee at the El Royale, a hotel situated on the California–Nevada border. As the night progresses, the characters' hidden secrets begin to intersect. The narrative explores the lives of a priest, a singer, a salesman, a hippie, a hotel employee, and a federal agent, all of whom are navigating their own personal stakes and moral dilemmas within the confines of the hotel's unique atmosphere.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1959, a man named Felix O'Kelly hides a money bag under the floorboards of his room at the El Royale, a hotel on the California–Nevada border. A decade later, in 1969, several guests arrive: Daniel Flynn (a priest), Darlene Sweet (a singer), Laramie Seymour Sullivan (a salesman), and Emily Summerspring (a hippie). The hotel is run by Miles Miller, a heroin addict. Laramie, who is actually FBI Agent Dwight Broadbeck, discovers a secret corridor of surveillance and finds that the other guests are hiding secrets: Daniel is actually a bank robber named Dock O'Kelly seeking his brother's hidden money; Emily is holding her sister, Rose, who was rescued from a cult. A cult led by Billy Lee eventually arrives and takes the group hostage. A violent confrontation ensues as the truth about the money and a valuable film reel is revealed. In the chaos, a fire breaks out. Miles, a war hero, kills the cult leader, but is mortally wounded. Darlene and Dock ultimately escape with the money, while the film reel is destroyed in the fire. The film ends with Dock attending Darlene's performance in Reno.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Drew Goddard
- Writers
- Drew Goddard · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jeff Bridges; Cynthia Erivo · Darlene Sweet; Dakota Johnson; Jon Hamm; Cailee Spaeny; Lewis Pullman; Chris Hemsworth · Billy Lee
- Genres
- neo-noir; thriller; mystery; black comedy
- Themes
- morality; faith; redemption
- Tone and mood
- noir; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- ensemble cast; multi-character; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay by Drew Goddard
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised the score, performances, and cinematography, while criticizing the pacing, runtime, and writing.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B- · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The El Royale hotel was built entirely on a studio set in Burnaby.; The film's runtime was chosen after negative scores during test screenings of a shorter version.; The film's title was inspired by the fact that it was a 'love letter to the crime thriller' genre.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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