Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): A Stylish, Suspenseful Dive into Sin and Secrets
Bad Times at the El Royale, directed and written by Drew Goddard, is a stylish neo-noir thriller that blends mystery, suspense, and moral ambiguity into a tense, atmospheric story. Set in 1969 at a once-glamorous but now fading hotel on the border of California and Nevada, the film assembles a group of seemingly unrelated strangers whose secrets gradually unravel over the course of one fateful night.
The El Royale itself is a character in its own right—half in California, half in Nevada—with a secret corridor that allows voyeuristic spying on guests. The setting is meticulously designed, drenched in retro aesthetics and rich with eerie silence and shadows. Into this strange place arrive seven guests, each with a mysterious past: a vacuum salesman named Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm), a priest with a shaky memory named Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a struggling soul singer named Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), and a young woman named Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), who is hiding something—and someone—in her room.
What begins as a slow-burning character drama escalates into a violent, multi-perspective thriller. As the night progresses, it becomes clear that each guest has come to the El Royale for their own reasons—and none of them are entirely innocent. Surveillance, deception, buried money, and the looming presence of a cult leader (played with unnerving charm by Chris Hemsworth) turn the hotel into a pressure cooker of psychological tension and physical danger.
One of the standout elements of the film is its nonlinear narrative. Events are often replayed from different perspectives, revealing new layers of truth with each shift. This storytelling device heightens suspense while deepening the audience’s understanding of the characters' motivations. Drew Goddard, known for The Cabin in the Woods, constructs a plot that is both unpredictable and meticulously crafted.
The performances are uniformly strong, with Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Darlene standing out as the emotional heart of the film. Her scenes, particularly those featuring her powerful singing voice, bring soul and humanity to a story thick with cynicism and violence. Jeff Bridges offers a poignant, understated performance, while Hemsworth’s cult leader, Billy Lee, adds a charismatic yet menacing presence that upends the narrative in its final act.
Visually, Bad Times at the El Royale is a feast for the eyes. Its saturated colors, symmetrical framing, and moody lighting contribute to a sense of unease and suspense reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino or the Coen Brothers. The soundtrack, rich with period music, underscores both the drama and the irony of the characters’ situations.
Though the film did not become a box office hit, it has garnered a cult following for its originality, atmosphere, and intelligent script. It explores themes of redemption, guilt, surveillance, and moral ambiguity, asking whether people can truly escape their past—or if the El Royale is the final judgment for those who enter.
In essence, Bad Times at the El Royale is a smart, stylish thriller that rewards patient viewers with rich characters, sharp dialogue, and a web of secrets waiting to be untangled.
