Bad Times at the El Royale
Rent/Purchase
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
What critics thought
Drew Goddard's neo-noir ensemble piece earns consistent praise for Seamus McGarvey's rich cinematography and a cast — particularly Cynthia Erivo — doing genuinely impressive work, but the screenplay divides critics sharply. Many found the intricate, chapter-based structure thrilling through its first two acts, only to feel the third act fails to pay off what the film so carefully constructed. The comparison to Tarantino is unavoidable in reviews and cuts both ways, with some treating it as a compliment and others as a polite way of calling it derivative.
“the performances and the visual style keep you easily engaged [...] Goddard keeps everything smoothly, ebbing and flowing as the characters separate and join together, but at some point [...] you want something more substantial”
Manohla Dargis·The New York Times
“an unfortunately apt demonstration of what can befall a clever filmmaker who gets too clever”
Glenn Kenny·RogerEbert.com
“steely charisma and gorgeous powerhouse of a voice”
Leah Greenblatt·Entertainment Weekly
“hyper-compartmentalized plot moving forward so swiftly”
Simon Abrams·NPR
Genres
Thriller, Mystery, Crime
Cast & Crew
DirectorDrew Goddard
StarringJeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Lewis Pullman, Dakota Johnson, Cailee Spaeny
ComposerMichael Giacchino
Bad Times at the El Royale
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
What critics thought
Drew Goddard's neo-noir ensemble piece earns consistent praise for Seamus McGarvey's rich cinematography and a cast — particularly Cynthia Erivo — doing genuinely impressive work, but the screenplay divides critics sharply. Many found the intricate, chapter-based structure thrilling through its first two acts, only to feel the third act fails to pay off what the film so carefully constructed. The comparison to Tarantino is unavoidable in reviews and cuts both ways, with some treating it as a compliment and others as a polite way of calling it derivative.
“the performances and the visual style keep you easily engaged [...] Goddard keeps everything smoothly, ebbing and flowing as the characters separate and join together, but at some point [...] you want something more substantial”
Manohla Dargis·The New York Times
“an unfortunately apt demonstration of what can befall a clever filmmaker who gets too clever”
Glenn Kenny·RogerEbert.com
“steely charisma and gorgeous powerhouse of a voice”
Leah Greenblatt·Entertainment Weekly
“hyper-compartmentalized plot moving forward so swiftly”
Simon Abrams·NPR
Genres
Thriller, Mystery, Crime
Cast & Crew
DirectorDrew Goddard
StarringJeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Lewis Pullman, Dakota Johnson, Cailee Spaeny
ComposerMichael Giacchino
Rent/Purchase