The Modern Crime Thriller That Needs To Become A Cult Classic
There are plenty of movies that don’t quite hit audiences when they are released, but they gradually gain a cult following over time. One recent film that has the potential to one day become a cult classic is the underrated 2018 crime thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. If you missed this one when it was released, or if you haven’t checked it out, it’s worth the watch.
Bad Times at the El Royale follows six guests and a hotel employee at the titular El Royale on the California-Nevada border. Each main character has a dark secret, and these secrets come to a head on one fateful night in the 1960s when they’re all staying at the hotel. The characters and the performances are definitely some of the best aspects of this film, especially since the cast is so stacked.
Bad Times at the El Royale was the second directorial effort by Drew Goddard, whose feature directorial debut Cabin in the Woods wowed audiences and instantly became a subversive horror favorite. Of course, Goddard has been in Hollywood for a long time, writing for shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, and Lost before penning features like Cloverfield, Cabin in the Woods, and The Martian. Still, expectations for Bad Times at the El Royale were certainly high after Cabin in the Woods.
The cast for Bad Times at the El Royale also drove up the hype for the film, with a buzzy ensemble that included Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, Xavier Dolan, and Chris Hemsworth as some kind of hippie cult leader. The film’s trailer was also fantastic, which also drove up expectations. Perhaps all of this hype is the reason that the movie just didn’t quite live up to people’s expectations.
The characters and the performances are definitely some of the best aspects of this film, especially since the cast is so stacked.
While reviews for the Bad Times at the El Royale leaned on the positive side, it just wasn’t the top-notch ensemble thriller that audiences wanted. It also ended up being a box office bomb, making less than its $32 million budget. The performances are certainly there, and the movie is entertaining enough, but it just didn’t blow people away.
Does that mean that Bad Times at the El Royale is a bad movie by any means? It’s quite the opposite, as many people consider it a pretty good movie and an enjoyable one at that. Which makes it the perfect candidate to eventually become a cult classic.
Cult classic films usually bomb at the box office despite being a good time, and this film has the potential to gain some traction over the years. Bad Times at the El Royale is worth the watch, it’s just not one of the best movies out there. It’s tough to say why exactly the movie failed at the box office, but it did have an R-rating and a pretty long runtime, which could have deterred people from checking it out.
You’ll have to decide for yourself if Bad Times at the El Royale is worth the “cult classic” designation. It’s available to rent on multiple platforms like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video. Make sure to check it out if you’re looking for something to watch this weekend.
