Bad Times at the El Royale

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.

75%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 241

74%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 5,223
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Movie Info

Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption... before everything goes to hell. Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Cynthia Erivo lead an all-star cast in BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.
  • Rating:
    R (for strong violence, language, some drug content and brief nudity)
  • Genre:
    Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Drew Goddard
  • Written By:
    Drew Goddard
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    20th Century Fox

Cast

Jeff Bridges
as Father Daniel Flynn
Cynthia Erivo
as Darlene Sweet
Chris Hemsworth
as Billy Lee
Dakota Johnson
as Emily Summerspring
Jon Hamm
as Laramie Seymour Sullivan
Cailee Spaeny
as Rose
Nick Offerman
Manny Jacinto
as Wade
Jim O'Heir
as Milton Wyrick
Mark O'Brien (IX)
Kate Gajdosik
Lewis Pullman
as Miles
Xavier Dolan
Katharine Isabelle
as Auntie Ruth
Alvina August
as Vesta Shears
Jonathan Whitesell
as Flicker
Sarah Smyth
as Ginger
Charles Halford
as Sammy Wilds
Bethany Brown
as Backup Singer
Hannah Zirke
as Young Emily
Tally Rodin
as Millie
Sophia Lauchlin Hirt
as Annabel
Austin James
as Soldier
Billy Wickman
as Emily's Father
Vincent Washington
as Sergeant Renfro
Caroline Koziol
as Ivona
Austin Abell
as Young Miles
Shark Nima Soltani
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Critic Reviews for Bad Times at the El Royale

All Critics (241) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (181) | Rotten (60)

View All Critic Reviews (241)

Audience Reviews for Bad Times at the El Royale

  • May 30, 2019
    Drew Goddard's original fluidity in Bad Times at the El Royale is both thrilling and smart. The film's intriguing characters, groovy vibe and surprising narrative is an underrated success that should be revered more than it is being resented. 4.2/5
    Eugene B Super Reviewer
  • Apr 30, 2019
    From writer/director Drew Goddard comes the thrilling noir crime drama Bad Times at the El Royale. The story follows seven strangers at a hotel built on the California/Nevada border who each has a secret, and before long things turn deadly. Starring Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth, the cast is quite impressive and delivers really strong performance; especially Bridges. And Goddard's directing style adds a lot of intrigue and tension. He also uses a Tarantino-esque narrative, breaking the story into character chapters, which enhances the mystery of who the characters are and what's going on at the hotel. Additionally, the set designs, costumes, and music do an excellent job at setting an atmospheric mood and tone. Bad Times at the El Royale is a well-crafted and compelling film that's full of suspense.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 19, 2019
    More often than not, the fragmented, time-jump-y form of storytelling (a la Tarantino) doesn't do it for me. But Bad Times at the El Royale nails the format, and just about everything else while it's at it.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 11, 2019
    Glad to see that Cynthia Erivo's star continues to rise and I've seen worse Tarantino knockoffs . . . but this movie is just too long and smug for its own good.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
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