The cinematic world has just recently acquired a new mystery classic into its archives and it is Drew Goddard’s “Bad Times at the El Royale.”
The ensemble cast that has created this to be the most unique motion pictures of the year, but also one of the most unique suspense thrillers audiences have seen in a long time.
Characters appear to be innocent as the resort itself but come to learn how greatly deceiving the history and character of the El Royale is. Seeing the same ominous outlining in many of the characters throughout the story creates a satisfyingly authentic paranoiac atmosphere for the audience.
Like any good thriller, the film uses a classic playing card when it comes to orchestrating a first-rate mystery, giving a brief backstory of the resort’s past of Vice-inspired bleakness and murderous ambiguity for it to have a seemingly innocent presence..
The audience is briefly charmed by the cozy confines of the El Royale during the first few minutes of the movie but indeed, this is only for a few minutes.
There is not much time to get settled in when the guests start to uncover the dark secrets of the hotel.
The audience sees them uncover the resort for what it really is, it is also that we see the characters reveal themselves for who they really are as well.
From a certain viewpoint, it possesses the originality of the classic suspense films.
There is no doubt that this film is a commemoration to them, having a Hitchcockian vibe throughout.
Topped on all of this is the nostalgic collage of the late ‘60s.
The film is decorated with classic rock and pop, the hippie movement, Manson-inspired cults, Vietnam and the Nixon presidency.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” does not cheapen nostalgic décor with the pure antique design. It is not a film that presents its noir layout with bare flashy neon projection but also has a lot of in-depth humanistic value in its storyline.
There is another classic play being involved in the film’s layout, and that is the quest for some sort of redemption as the plot develops.
The hotel’s troubled past never leaves its current state, many characters are also haunted by their pasts and perhaps through their stay at the hotel and the unnerving discoveries that develop, find a way to break away from a corruptive history.
This is a four-star suspense film that is to be both envied and inspirational to many who wish to craft a good mystery.
The film stars Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman and Chris Hemsworth.