Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) - Great times at your local cinema - 9/10 (29/11/18)

Bad Times at the El Royale is one of the greatest Hollywood movies released this year. Set in a remote hotel on the California-Nevada border that has seen its best days decades earlier, the movie follows an intriguing set of characters that end up meeting there. We meet an aging Catholic priest who is suffering from an illness, a female black singer, a communicative salesman and a sarcastic young woman who are welcomed by a nervous receptionist. All these characters have secrets to hide and aren't exactly who they pretend to be. Things take a sinister turn when the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a mysterious blackmail organization and a murderous sect get involved. When extortion, kidnapping and murder take place, the remote hotel becomes the setting of an explosive showdown.

Filmed in the key of Quentin Tarantino's movies, Bad Times at the El Royale starts with sluggish but atmospheric pace to introduce all relevant characters and locations. The film gets a grislier turn as more and more secrets about the characters and locations are gradually being revealed. The final thirty minutes are bloody, brutal and intense as the film ends on a particularly high note.

The location of the rundown hotel is quite fascinating as it also reflects the characters whose days of former glory are long behind them. When a storm arises and the characters are stuck in the remote location, the movie gets a quite claustrophobic vibe. The film takes place in a shiny lobby, simple hotel rooms and a few secret locations that are quite surprising to say the least.

The actresses and actors are particularly convincing and play their roles with empathy and precision. The audience quickly sympathizes with some characters and easily scorns others. The fates of the characters won't leave anyone unimpressed.

Bad Times at the El Royale offers relentless action, unique characters, intense dialogues, stunning locations, dramatic moments, creative plot twists and uneasy tension in two and a half particularly entertaining hours. You should definitely watch it at your local movie theatre.