It’s been a long seven years, but Drew Goddard’s sixties-set noir-styled thriller has shown us that his work only gets better with time. Goddard’s 2011 debut Cabin in the Woods was widely hailed as a successful piece of horror cinema, and his latest release, Bad Times at the El Royale, has more than lived up to its predecessor’s reputation. Set to a sleazy sixties backdrop inside the El Royale, an almost abandoned motel split across the border of California and Nevada, the film features some unforgettable performances and moments of purely thrilling cinema where nobody is really what they seem.
The prologue is brutal in its depiction of a stranger being shot in the back after burying a mysterious case under the floorboards of one of the rooms and serves as a snippet of the noir influences on El Royale, setting the tone for the rest of the film perfectly. It grabs you by the neck and demands that you take interest. Roll on ten years later and it’s 1969, the “Summer of Love”. But love is hard to come by here, as the characters, Jeff Bridges’ Father Daniel Flynn; Cynthia Erivo’s soul singer Darlene Sweet; Jon Hamm’s not-what-he-seems vacuum salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan and Dakota Johnson’s shady sunglasses-wearing femme fatale check-in at the El Royale – a hotel that, like the characters, is not at all what it seems. Lewis Pullman’s nervous wreck of a concierge Miles Miller greets them to the clashing interior of the hotel: the Vegas-themed Nevada side, and the more laid back, classy lounge style of California. Guests can choose which state they stay in, and this is the first indicator of the differences in their motives, morals and meanings for being there, though they all share one common trait – they all have a secret to bury.
The standout performance is without a doubt Cynthia Erivo’s Darlene Sweet, a moving soul singer with more on her mind than the next Otis Redding single. She is passionate, hard-edged and independent in her own mind, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that she is human like anyone else, and shares fears and suspicions like everybody. Opposite Jeff Bridges’ Father Flynn, the chemistry, even when they are at odds (and separate ends of an empty liquor bottle and a gun), between the two characters is perfectly played. Beside Erivo, Bridges proves once again why he is one of the best in his profession, playing a new character with as much charm and humility as ever. Put amongst the rest of the cast, which will later include Chris Hemsworth’s Manson-inspired cult leader and his (probably) brainwashed disciple Rose “Boots” Summerspring (Cailee Spaeny) and you can understand why Sweet and Flynn are the most talked about performances. They just fit together so perfectly.
The film itself is presented with a non-linear storyline that is reminiscent of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and is more of a nod to the unique style than a steal from a classic. It adds another depth to the story as you view two separate events that happen parallel to each other, allowing tension to be raised as you see a character approach certain danger. The music chosen for the film also adds to this: alongside Michael Giacchino’s intense original score, Goddard accompanies the events on screen with soulful numbers by artists such as The Box Tops, Frankie Valli, Edwin Starr and the Four Tops, adding an interesting counterpoint to the often violent happenings on screen. It also pairs well with the design of the whole set, as it really creates a feeling of being stuck in the El Royale at the end of the sixties, the contemporary music reflecting the era without using too many instantly recognisable hits.
For all the positive things about Bad Times at the El Royale, there were a few issues that potentially could have been avoided. Moments of comedy, especially in the first twenty minutes, didn’t seem to have much comedic impact on an almost-full cinema, and it almost made moments feel awkward, a build up of which could have ruined the momentum of the opening scenes. In addition to this, audience members were vocal in their disappointment at loose ends not necessarily being wrapped up. As a lover of mystery cinema, I love the idea of forming individual opinions about what certain things mean (what was inside Marcellus Wallace’s case in Pulp Fiction?) but others are not so keen. This brings us back to the mystery of the hidden suitcase, a factor that helps to drive the film as some characters chase the money, whilst others seek a mysterious reel of film, the contents of which are never revealed. I could understand audience frustrations: who shot the stranger in the prologue and why was his money not taken by the assassin? And just what was on the reel of tape that proved so important to all of the characters?
Another point of confusion was that regarding the division of the hotel between Nevada and California, and what it all meant. Personally, I think it represents the differences between the characters and their motives, as well as the fragility of morality and conscience and how easily it is to cross your own lines in pursuit of something important, but these are purely personal opinions and in reality it could mean nothing at all. Such is the beauty of the mystery.
Overall, Goddard has excelled himself with Bad Times at the El Royale and has created a captivating story about trust and redemption, set to a beautifully designed backdrop laced with riddles and violence that form to make a story that is unique in its execution. Whilst there are issues, they do not take away from the overall charm of the film that really succeeds in creating a world within a single hotel, and a story that seizes you into a thriller where almost everyone is the victim. Bad Times at the El Royale is a modern-day thriller, set in the sixties, with a forties noir influence, and it is brilliant.
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