Despite its A-list ensemble, which includes Chris Hemsworth (although he doesn’t show up until quite a way into the movie), Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Jeff Bridges, Bad Times at the El Royale (watch the trailer below) received a kind of underwhelming reception at the box office.
And it deserves better. Nothing is as it seems in this lengthy thriller set in a mostly deserted hotel. As a random group of guests check in, their various secrets cause them to collide in often-deadly fashion.
With its noir-ish tone, non-linear narrative (the action jumps back and forth, often showing the same scenes from different characters’ perspectives) and that all-star cast, this feels like a film Quentin Tarantino would make. Instead, it’s the work of Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, which was part of Hemsworth’s initial assault on Hollywood). (Out on DVD and Blu-ray on Wed., Jan. 30) 4 stars
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