Sometimes a movie has every quality it should have to succeed, but ultimately falls by the wayside.Bad Times at the El Royale, the brain-child of otherwise bankable filmmaker Drew Goddard, is one such example. Goddard, who wrote, directed, and produced the noir thriller, is an Academy-Award winner for the screenplay ofThe Martianand penned extremely popularthrillers like World War ZandCloverfield. He also wrote episodes of cultural landmark television shows likeBuffy the Vampire SlayerandLost.
Directorially, he made his debut with 2011’sCabin in the Woods, a horror-satire that also starred Chris Hemsworth. With a resume such as this one, the fact thatBad Times at the El Royaleflopped in the way it did is certainly an anomaly. The commercial failure of the film is made even more puzzling when you consider how star-studded it is: Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, andCailee Spaeny, to name a few,comprise the cast.Bad Times at the El Royalewas just shy of recouping its budget at the box-office, received extremely mediocre reviews from critics, and has essentially fallen into obscurity since its release.
With all that said, there are still many elements that makeBad Times at the El Royaleworth revisiting. What are they, and what factors led to its poor performance in the first place?
Bad Times at the El Royale
Set in the eponymous El Royale, a bi-state hotel that sits on the border of California and Nevada,Bad Times at the El Royaleprimarily follows seven characters whose lives intersectone darkly significant night in 1969. The El Royale was once a bustling hub of wealth and luxury, but having recently lost its gambling license, it is now relatively deserted and managed by only one employee (Lewis Pullman). Among the hotel guests are a vacuum salesman (Hamm), a priest (Bridges), a traveling vocalist (Erivo), and a freespirit (Johnson).
It is soon revealed that not everyone was who they said they were.Intrigue ensues, involving but not limited to cults, undercover agents, and secret corridors. Without spoiling his role in the story, Hemsworth himself is only in about the latter half of the film, but viewers can look forward to an unexpected side of the actor that stands out among his usual docket of roles. All of this action is set against the architecture of a gorgeous ’60s-era set and atmosphere. Overall,Bad Times at the El Royaleunpacks the noir genre itself, as well as complex themes like faith and ethics. Yes, it’s as ambitious as it sounds.
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Bad Times at the El Royaleclearly had a lot going for it that should have made it a hit. So, why wasn’t it? Well, as mentioned, it was incredibly ambitious.The leading theory is thatBad Times at theEl Royale’seyes were bigger than its stomach. Its runtime is its hamartia. At nearly two and a half hours, somehow it still feels like there is not enough time to explore all the ideas in the script deeply. The plot goes a lot of places and one cannot help but think that the content of this film would be better suited for a miniseries.
Word of the runtime and its overwhelming nature are cited as popular reasons the movie did not perform well at the box office.Bad Times at the El Royalewas also released during a relatively competitive weekend/season, being beaten byNight Schoolthree weekends in a row. The film also has an R-Rating, which could have been a serious financial deterrent. Ultimately, it seems that the consensus is that the third-act is somewhat of a let-down, but the first two acts are pretty remarkable filmmaking from a pretty consistent filmmaker.
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Still a Good Time
Despite whatever factors may have led to its lackluster performance,Bad Times at the El Royaleis still definitely worth a watch. Stylistically, it is rich with material curated for movie lovers. Critics have compared it to the likes of classics like Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fiction. It is noir, mystery, thriller, and includes simultaneous examination of each of those genres. In fact,Bad Times at the El Royalekind of feels like ifWhite Lotuswere set in the ’60s (perhaps another point in favor of it possibly having been more successful as a series).
There is a lot of interesting material there.It certainly deserves to be more fleshed out, but that does not make it less compelling. Not to mention, again, the cast is incredible. There is a delightful Nick OffermanPsycho-style cameo (revealing how it isPsycho-style would be a spoiler, so you’ll have to watch for yourself). Cailee Spaeny and Cynthia Erivo both shine in early film roles, with Erivo particularly receiving various praise and accolades.
Meanwhile, on Rotten Tomatoes,Bad Times at the El Royalehas a solid 75% from both audiences and critics, with the critical consensus reading, “Smart, stylish, and packed with solid performances,Bad Times at the El Royaledelivers pure popcorn fun with the salty tang of social subtext.” It may not be perfect, but perhaps such agood time should not be entirely dismissedby film history, either.
RentBad Times at the El Royale on Apple TV or Pirme Video.
