Movies

Bad Times at the El Royale – Movie Review

Bad Times at the El Royale – Movie Review

“Bad Times at the El Royale,” is a noir-infused story about a sleepy hotel where ten years in the past a violent scene erupted to break the calm, which is somewhat similar to every relationship I had but with better lighting.

A decade later in 1969, Jeff Bridges as Father Flynn, Jon Hamm as traveling salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan, Dakota Johnson, and Cynthia Erivo as downtrodden singer Darlene Sweet all check in.

Like the guests, the hotel has two sides—the line separating Nevada and California runs right down the middle. Its bifurcated nature is also reflected in the secrets it holds– hidden tunnels, one way mirrors and more. You’ll probably put blankets over every hotel mirror you encounter after seeing this movie.

In the third act, Chris Hemsworth is introduced. Recreating his role as Thor, he stands in the lobby and states, “I am here only for a short time to refresh my resources before continuing my travel to Asgard. Tend to my horses, for I will ride out after several days. I will not fight my brother, for it is madness! But if he intends to hurt you innocent people, I will lay down my life for you. Especially for Dakota Fanning, or whatever your character’s name reveals itself to be!”

 

Joe Ditzel

Joe Ditzel is a keynote speaker, humor writer, and really bad golfer. You can reach him via email at [email protected] as well as Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.