Rating of
3/4
The Styligh Neo-Noir Thriller of the Year
cacb3995 - wrote on 10/18/18
Drew Goddard’s sophomore effort proves that he is most definitely a talent to watch. Following his debut, 2012’s “The Cabin in the Woods”, which was a great meta-commentary on the horror genre and the movie-goer that perpetuates its infinite chain of senseless tropes, and a string of writing credits that include 2015’s “The Martian”, he’s back this year with a neo-noir thriller that’s packed with style and boasts an incredible acting ensemble. The film does have its flaws, but they don’t prevent it from being one of the year’s very best.
The story is simple enough, on paper: seven strangers, each with their own secrets and troubled pasts, are stranded in a hotel located exactly on the border between California and Nevada as a huge storm looms over them. The cast of characters include: Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), whose old age is starting to affect his memory, but that doesn’t stop him from looking for what he believes is rightfully his; Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), an up and coming struggling singer who has a performance in Reno the next day; Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm), a vacuum cleaner salesman who has a particular interest in the hotel itself; Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), who is trying to keep her sister Rosie (Cailee Spaeny) away from a certain man called Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth), who might be on his way to where they are; and rounding up the cast is the hotel clerk Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman), who in reality is actually much more troubled than one would guess at first.
Full review at: https://breakingthefourthwallsite.wordpress.com/2018/10/18/bad-times-at-the-el-royale-the-stylish-neo-noir-thriller-of-the-year/
