It’s been six years since Cloverfield-scribe Drew Goddard burst onto the scene as a director, delivering his meta-horror film The Cabin in the Woods to near-universal acclaim. After spending the past few years helming the Daredevil Netflix TV show, Goddard finally returns to the big screen with his much-anticipated follow up: Bad Times at the El Royale. A mystery dripping with style and quick dialogue, this is a film that is a blast to watch, a competent director doing his best Tarantino.
Set nearly entirely in the 1970’s inside of a kitschy hotel, the movie takes place on the literal border of California and Nevada, with a red line separating the two states cutting through the hotel. The El Royale is decked out in mid-century modern decor (and a style that had me wishing my home looked exactly like that), lending an interesting flavor to an already-interesting mystery. The first part of the movie plays out like something written for the stage, colorful characters popping into focus, slowly illuminating connections and connections.
But to go any more into the story will ruin all the fun mysteries, as well as a MacGuffin that has its own quirky mystery (which was the subject of discussion as we left the theatre).
The cast list for Bad Times is packed with huge talent: Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Jeff Bridges, Nick Offerman and Chris Hemsworth join the relatively new Cynthia Erivo (plucked from Broadway) and Lewis Pullman, who steals the show during the third act. Jeff Bridges, of course, continues to be the American treasure we all know and love but it’s who he shares the screen with, Ervio, that has the charisma, confidence and knockout singing voice that pushes her to the top.
Between the script, the style and the set, Bad Times at the El Royale is a really fun movie that will have you trying to figure out how this puzzle all fits together, and reminds us how much we’ve missed seeing Drew Goddard’s work on the big screen.
