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Bad Times at the El Royale

Play trailer 2:01 Poster for Bad Times at the El Royale R 2018 2h 21m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 260 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.
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Bad Times at the El Royale

Bad Times at the El Royale

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Critics Consensus

Smart, stylish, and packed with solid performances, Bad Times at the El Royale delivers pure popcorn fun with the salty tang of social subtext.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs Chicago Reader 03/03/2020
Perhaps the most insufferable Tarantino knockoff since the 90s. Go to Full Review
Manohla Dargis New York Times 04/18/2019
At some point during this logy 2-hour-and-21-minute exercise you want something more substantial than even Hemsworth's admittedly mesmerizing snaky hips. Go to Full Review
Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com 11/20/2018
B+
An extremely well-directed film. Go to Full Review
Yehuda Siegel Loud and Clear Reviews 11/18/2024
5/5
At its core, Bad Times is a film about duality. California, Nevada. Glamour, abandonment. The song, the food. The money, the film. The sins of the past, the consequences of the present. Go to Full Review
Ankit Ojha Cinema Elite 07/09/2024
4.5/5
It’s almost like Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorcese doped up on Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock’s contained storytelling before picking up Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” to remix. Go to Full Review
Nyle Coleman InSession Film 05/09/2024
B+
Jeff Bridges as Father Daniel Flynn was outstanding and will go down as one of my favorites from him. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ralph C 05/14/2021 Pacing was a bit irregular - lagged a third to halfway into it. Strong performances all around. Nostalgic (attention to detail is amazing) yet still felt fresh. Not for everyone - you know who you are. See more michael l @Stargazy Dec 6 I was engaged from the very start. A mystery unfolds as the people enter and check-in at the counter with Miles who had been in the back doing who knows what. Everyone is suspicious but that suspicion is kinda ruined by the backgrounds. One man is working for J. Edgar Hoover and reports to them that something is off at this hotel, but that goes nowhere. One woman is actually kidnapped, but that plot is quickly resolved as she goes from helpless hostage to Neo "I know kung-fu" and dear lord Chris Hemsworth as Billy Lee ruins this movie. He kills the pacing immediately as we get the most cliche torture scene there has ever been; one person dies to build suspense, another is threatened, someone hits the captor and starts a brawl, the day is saved by the guy you least expect. It's a bunch of cliches. We get some suspense, the hotel is watching you, filming you, but that goes nowhere, "reported to management, I don't know them" well there goes the movie I'd like to watch. Not bad, not good. See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Nov 19 I enjoyed it. Took me a while to get around to it, but when I did, I appreciated the cool performances, especially Jeff Bridges. It's the kind of movie you could forget, but probably won't. See more Gavin F. @bonkloud Nov 6 I’m a sucker for a good story and this one hits the nail on the head See more Troy R Oct 16 Very good story. Acting was really good as well, though some of the characters aren't so likable. Ending was good and nicely tied the story together. Characters acted realistic which is a sign of good writing/directing and something I always enjoy in a film. The detractors: Singing while good got a little repetitive after the third or forth time it happened which started to feel like another minute tacked on to the long run time. Additionally adding to the long run time is Chris Hemsworth, who felt like another Spiderhead performance. While I did like his part a decent bit, it certainly would have been cut 10 minutes shorter with a less popular actor. Also he plays a very weird character that's ultimately a little too full on himself, full of jokes, and basically comes off like Thor comedy and silliness. And while its funny at times, it would be nice to see a different role from him. See more John W Oct 3 Got one of my favorites. Setting, costumes, and atmosphere, whole cinematography is amazing. I also really liked the story with its many characters and their mysterious connections. See more Read all reviews
Bad Times at the El Royale

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Movie Info

Synopsis The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.
Director
Drew Goddard
Producer
Jeremy Latcham, Drew Goddard
Screenwriter
Drew Goddard
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox, Goddard Textiles, TSG Entertainment
Rating
R (Language|Brief Nudity|Some Drug Content|Strong Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 12, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 18, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.8M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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