Dark R-Rated Crime Mystery Thriller With Multiple Marvel Stars Is Being Kept From Audiences
Sometimes you catch a movie in the theater that seems utterly destined to be a massive hit. This was my experience back in 2018 when I caught the Neo-noir crime thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, as the film contains a stacked cast, a fun, fast-paced plot, and a list of excellent needle drops that could go a mile long. Unfortunately, Bad Times at the El Royale failed to leave a major mark on audiences across the globe, as evidenced by the fact that the film is currently not available to stream on any major streamers right now.
Cast And Crew
Bad Times at the El Royale was written and directed by The Cabin in the Woods filmmaker Drew Goddard. Over the years, Goddard has racked up writing credits for massively successful films such as Cloverfield, World War Z, The Martian, and others, and is even credited as the sole scribe for the upcoming Sony Sinister Six movie.
Bad Times at the El Royale serves as Goddard’s second directorial feature, and boasts an absolutely massive cast which includes Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Offerman, Cynthia Erivo, and Parks and Recreation‘s Jim O’Heir.
Production
Apparently Goddard began work on the script for Bad Times at the El Royale back in 2016, and refused to ink a deal with any major studios unless they would agree to license all of the songs he had in mind for the film’s many music-heavy sequences.
Eventually, someone at 20th Century Fox agreed to these bold terms, and the film entered into production on a massive set in Canada.
The Strange Hotel
The narrative of Bad Times at the El Royale centers on a titular hotel which sits directly along the center of the California-Nevada border, as a group of unrelated misfits including a Catholic priest, a professional singer, an FBI agent posing as a traveling salesman, and a hippie each check-in in 1969.
Due to the conflicting state laws of California and Nevada, the hotel operates under a bizarre set of rules, in which half of the building is legally allowed to serve alcohol while the other half isn’t.
As one character quickly learns, the hotel has something even more bizarre lurking just under the surface, as a hidden wall gives way to a large corridor with one-way mirrors peering into each room.
Things Don’t Go Well
I don’t want to give too much away here, because the movie really should be enjoyed with a fresh perspective, but suffice is to say, Bad Times at the El Royale continues to shift each of its characters like intricately-placed chess pieces until they all cross paths in an explosive climax.
By the end of the movie, multiple characters meet their demise, a few conflicting tales of espionage eclipse one-another, and a dangerous but charismatic cult leader arrives to shake things up even further.
Watch It If You Can
GFR SCORE
Despite personally enjoying the film quite a bit, Bad Times at the El Royale failed to make a major splash on pop culture, and ultimately became forgotten to time. Now, only 6 years after its release, nobody seems to remember the movie, especially since it isn’t available on streaming. Still, if you can somehow locate a copy of Bad Times at the El Royale, or even digitally rent or purchase the off-beat film, you won’t regret it.
