Bad Times at the El Royale - Review

What makes a mystery? Some think it’s creating a world where audiences know something just isn’t right. Some think it’s creating a place, not a person, that holds some evil to it. Some think it’s the sense of inescapable dread, that no matter what happens, something worse is on its way. Writer/Director Drew Goddard, a man familiar with dread thanks to his writing on “Cloverfield” and “The Martian” and his directing on “The Cabin in the Woods,” thinks it’s all of those things and a whole lot more.

At 141 minutes, “Bad Time at the El Royale” is facing an uphill battle when it comes to audiences. Rarely can a film enchant people for such an extended runtime without any preestablished characters or canon. However, its in Goddard’s excellent use of time manipulation that this is used to its fullest extent.

It doesn’t escape the fact that this is still a 141-minute-long film, and regardless of how expertly the uses its runtime, it uses it in such a slow and methodical way that it begins to feel its length by the time the third act rolls around.

The problem is, telling any more than that would be diving into spoiler territory, which is a shame because “Bad Time” is a film that is unquestionably better the less you know before seeing it.

The titular hotel positively drips with atmosphere in every frame. Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (“Atonement”, “Nocturnal Animals”) keeps his camera work as slow and specific as the film’s pacing, leading to some glorious shots and downright genius uses of the titled angle technique.

More than just the cinematography though, the entire El Royale hotel takes on a life of its own thanks to stellar production and costume design from Martin Whist (“Cloverfield”, “The Cabin in the Woods”), Michael Diner (“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”, “The Cabin in the Woods”), Lisa Van Velden (“Supergirl”) and Danny Glicker (“This is the End”, “mother!”). It feels like a living breathing place, as ironic as that seems given the hotel’s run-down nature.

With a set that’s so exquisite it may as well be a character itself, a lot is left on the shoulders of the actors to deliver performances as memorable as the location. Luckily, they do just that, with Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski,” “Iron Man”) turning in a performance that easily ranks with the best of his career. John Hamm (“Mad Men,” “Baby Driver”) and Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey,” “How to Be Single”) also turn in excellent roles, and Chris Hemsworth (“Thor,” “Blackhat”) ends up being so perfectly deranged that he almost certainly has a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination on his hands.

Though the stand outs by far are Cailee Spaeny (“Pacific Rim Uprising”) and Lewis Pullman (“Battle of the Sexes,” “The Ballad of Lefty Brown”). Spaeny, a relative unknown, makes it clear that she’s an unknown no longer for a reason. Her performance drips with wonderful uneasiness and emotion, creating a character easy to love and sympathize with. Pullman though, is in a whole other ballpark. Without spoiling anything, suffice it to say that his concierge Miles will without a doubt be the film’s most memorable character by far. Cynthia Erivo also stands out in her film debut, commanding the screen with a calm, tender voice for Bridges’ character and leaving her mark on a film loaded with other actors, no small feat.

However, for all of “Bad Times” excellence, in its cast, its designs, its writing, its mystery and how it all comes together, there is no denying that it delves into some downright disturbing material. Nothing to go as far as a horror film like “Hostel” or “Saw”, but it feels worse thanks to the excellent character depth that creates a strong likability for everyone. Everything just feels like one big “Yikes!” The events, while disturbing, may not be the worst things ever committed to cinema, but they feel worse because audiences legitimately care about the fates of even the smallest character.

Goddard isn’t afraid to throw a few subtle timely jabs at modern goings on though. And while they aren’t overt, annoying or even a huge part of the plot, it’s a small detail that leaves the movie feeling extremely timely.

Time is in fact the biggest talking point of the film in general. Not only is its plot paced in such a purposefully slow manner, but most scenes play out in real time for upwards of ten minutes, refusing to use cheap and quick cuts to get away from emotional moments. This, coupled with the film’s nature of dolling out its narrative in a genius puzzle piece format, creates a narrative that leave audience’s practically begging to know more about each event.

“Bad Time at the El Royale” features some bad time indeed. Some very bad, very long times that may turn off some audience members with its content and length. But do not be fooled; what is within the walls of this run-down bi state establishment is a mystery that is entirely engrossing in its presentation, its characters, its narrative and its white-knuckle tension. “Bad Times” is one hell of a good film. 4.5/5