Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colors – before everything goes to hell.
From the writer of “The Martian” and “The Cabin in the Woods,” comes a new thriller about seven strangers arriving at a nefarious hotel. Each seeks their own redemption as they chaotically bounce off each other bringing violence, bloodshed, blackmail, and murder into everyone’s paths. It’s an intriguing premise and with a cast so star-studded (Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Lewis Pullman, and Jon Hamm) the idea succeeds! The only problem I have is marketing kind of ruined this film a little bit.
Before I get into the film I want to dive into this issue because this debate grows and grows in film circles. Marketing materials that either ruin or mis-advertise the movie. Now, I respect marketers and advertisers. “El Royale” is not a simply defined movie and cannot be categorically placed in any genre (except maybe period piece?) It’s elements are: star-studded cast, well-known writer/director, and a mystery at the heart. Those are the elements sold to me through trailers, posters, interviews, etc. Let’s hone in on trailers.
I have a friend who doesn’t watch trailers. He says it colors his perception of movies and ultimately ruins the virgin watching experience. I admire that. I actually crave that, but being the movie fan I am I constantly watch trailers (and let’s face it: any of you who work in an office probably spend as much time watching trailers as you do working.) In some movies’ cases, trailers do wonders for lifting the buzz around a flick (as in the case of MANY a movie.) It’s often the first gate for smaller budgeted movies for audiences to interact. They get a flavor of the movie, a tip at storytelling, and they’re either in or not. In the extreme case of (yes I’m going there) “Suicide Squad,” the trailer ended up shaping the final cut of the film. Trailers, whether we like them or not, are here to stay and they often feature a reductive view of movies that we ingest.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” had me psyched because of Drew Goddard (and Dakota Johnson and Jon Hamm.) I loved “The Cabin in the Woods” as one of my first theatrical horror movie experiences and I read the trailer as ‘Goddard has made another movie where the third act pulls the rug out from underneath you.’ I don’t know if others saw that but something tells me that’s what they wanted me to think in the trailer. When I watched the movie I tried to restrain my expectations of some grand reveal, and when I didn’t get what I was hoping for, I simply enjoyed the action on-screen. I stopped anticipating what marketers asked me to anticipate.
“El Royale” is a wonderful piece, bouncing from one character to another in a ‘chapter’ storytelling mode. Its constant revisions of scenes force you to work form a new perspective. Instead of having a constant ‘work-through’ effect so the audience is working towards solving a puzzle, this functions more as a ‘reveal the canvas’ effect, allowing us to sympathize with different characters after learning their motivations. This editing stands out well, and while it does dip away from the action in certain parts just when I want to see the next moment, it also helps craft, multiply, and build the tension.
A large mention should be made of the production design, costuming, and overall texture of the film. The “El Royale” comes to life with such a creative and innovative design I highly commend the set designer. Each room feels different and unique through the accumulation of costuming and character work. They really sell the ’70s in this movie without being on the nose.
Every actor brings life to their characters on screen. Whether it’s the defiant Dakota Johnson, friendly Jeff Bridges, offending Jon Hamm, maniacal Chris Hemsworth, or amiable Cynthia Erivo, each character has a distinct ‘flavor’ and the film is a delectable combination of character blending. Most notably, Lewis Pullman, as bell boy Miles, stands above the rest with the most amount of emotion to chew on. I enjoyed the movie once I let go of some monstrous reveal and you should too. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the trailers hadn’t spoiled some of the character reveals that are oh-so-valuable to the film’s overall structure. Go check this one out in theaters! It’s not what you think it is, it’s better.
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD January 1st
