Movie 🎥 Review: “Bad Times at the El Royale". Critics gave it a 72% the users an 75%. Rated: R with a running time of 2hrs & 21mins and an IMDb of 7.5/10. Cast:  Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Hannah Zirke, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Charlotte Mosby, Lewis Pullman, Austin Abell, Chris Hemsworth & Nick Offerman (just to name a few).

Set in 1969, the plot follows six strangers who each are hiding dark secrets that come to a head one night in a shady hotel on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.

Bad Times at the El Royale premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 27, 2018, and was released in the United States on October 12, 2018. The film has grossed $11 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances and Goddard's direction and screenplay, although the 141-minute runtime and pacing drew some criticism.

This is an incredibly captivating mystery/thriller. I must say up front that is is somewhat slow paced in the first 30-40 minutes, however when it takes off (and it does) you better strap in for a wild ride.

With an all-star cast, the acting is solid from start to finish, and Lewis Pullman (Miles, the hotel manager) steals the spotlight even with Chris Hemsworth in the mix. The film structure is very simulating, with non-linear storytelling and scenes from multiple perspectives.

The more energetic scenes are accompanied by an incredible soundtrack, with classics from the 60's. The topics of ultimatums and self reflection are presented, and exceptionally highlight by the cinematography.

The crescendo of this film is spot on, there are things you won’t see coming that will hold your interest to the very end.

Writer/Director Drew Goddard channels Tarantino & DePalma to deliver an almost perfect crime mystery Thriller with a boldness to do its own thing and continuously subvert expectations with its twists and turns. If you’ve seen “The Hateful Eight” you know what I’m talking about.