Bad Times at the El Royale

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Bad Times at the El Royale

R

Released Oct 12, 2018

2h 21m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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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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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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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Perhaps the most insufferable Tarantino knockoff since the 90s.

Mar 3, 2020

Full Review

Manohla Dargis

New York Times

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.

Apr 18, 2019

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

An extremely well-directed film.

Rated: B+

Nov 20, 2018

Full Review

Yehuda Siegel

Loud and Clear Reviews

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.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 18, 2024

Full Review

Ankit Ojha

Cinema Elite

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.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 9, 2024

Full Review

Nyle Coleman

InSession Film

Jeff Bridges as Father Daniel Flynn was outstanding and will go down as one of my favorites from him.

Rated: B+

May 9, 2024

Full Review

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Ralph C

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/14/21

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Ferdinand B

Made me a fan of Cynthia Erivo. If you like the noir genre, give it a watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/25

Full Review

Anastasiia M

I guess this movie totally underrated because no one talks about it from every direction. This is my favorite movie and I review it often. For me El-Royal is thought-provoking story about role of fate and choice. It’s gripping from the start to the end. Action-packed script, magnetic esthetic, jaw-dropping turns, music is outstanding and (quite a few songs from movies was added to my playlists)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/25

Full Review

Stoner J

Close to as great as Goddard’s previous Cabin in the Woods. Completely different movie but equally enticing. And the music and performances are so great.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/25

Full Review

David M

This energetic, enjoyable noir crime story lands us in 1969 as a disparate group of individuals, all with stuff to hide, converge on the El Royale motel - itself a building of secrets and lies. For the most part it's beautifully acted - especially the outstanding Jeff Bridges and Cynthia Erivo - and elegently shot and lit, lending what is essentially a fairly surface-level piece a genuine depth with social commentary and emotional heart. The false note is in Chris Hemsworth's lazy performance; when his character comes to the fore in the final act, there also seems to be a missing handful of scenes, as the plot jumps to a place that doesn't entirely ring true. None of this stops it being enjoyable and attention-grabbing, with the influence of Tarantino clear (though you can't help but feel his trademark lack of discipline and focus would have let the film down further).

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

Mike K

Idiots! Don't know a really good movie when it bites you on the nose? Editing, SOUND, script, plot twists, acting, and real psychological drama! Yeah, no flying supes or cute animated sweeties, but hey, this is a MOVIE, A REAL MOVIE! Forgive the rant. It don't mean anything.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

Full Review

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Bad Times at the El Royale: Trailer 2

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Bad Times at the El Royale: Trailer 1

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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: Goddard Textiles, TSG Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox
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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