Movie Review: 'Bad Times At The El Royale' Lacks In Story Depth, But The All-Star Cast Makes It A Winner

Crime thriller Bad Times at the El Royale has a lot going for it. It has an all-star cast, featuring Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, and Lewis Pullman (Spaeny and Pullman aren’t as well-known but are still no less impressive). You have this great cast playing intriguing characters all with their own unique back story and reasons for being at the El Royale. When they all gather together, the only possible outcome is for all hell to break loose. It has Drew Goddard on as writer and director, who has proven himself time and again to be extremely talented. And maybe above all, the movie has something many other movies are lacking these days: originality.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the sequels, reboots, and adaptations that have been flooding the theaters. They’ve given us some great movies and series. I mean the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone comprises some of my favorite movies in recent memory. But still, there’s something to be said for a fresh, new idea. So while Bad Times is certainly a flawed movie, I do cut Goddard some slack for injecting some originality into the veins of Hollywood.

Original idea aside, the best thing Bad Times offers audiences is the superb cast. Every single one of them brings it. Each brings their own fun, unique spin to the movie. They each have their own flair. Bridges, Erivo, and Hemsworth in particular give standout performances. I would have preferred more Hemsworth, to be honest. He was the most fun character in the movie. I would be all about a movie centered around his character, Billy Lee, and sisters Emily (Dakota Johnson) and Rose Summerspring (Cailee Spaeny).

And speaking of Dakota Johnson, how great was it to see her with a good role in a good movie? The Fifty Shades trilogy was, and is, objectively terrible. But you she did show flashes here and there of a real spark and talent. I’m glad Hollywood saw those moments too and didn’t give up on her. She still has a great chance at a very successful career, in terms of quality roles and movies.

As much of a strength as the characters were, it was also a weak point. Because there were so many people to introduce and get involved in the film’s events, it was difficult to provide enough back story for each and every one of them. And that’s to be expected when you have an ensemble cast like this. But they were all made so engaging that you can’t help but want to know more about them. That’s a huge part of the fun of the movie; learning who these characters are, where they came from, why they’re at the El Royale. But it leaves you wanting more.

That point is magnified as the third act drags along. With the movie as is, it was probably a half hour too long. But if they wanted this length, there were certainly scenes that could have been cut and/or shortened in order to give more complete back stories on at least of couple of these characters. Along with this, the ending left a lot to be desired. It was fine, I suppose. But with what the movie builds to in the previous two hours, the payoff felt flat. A movie like these needs a big, grand ending to send things out with a bang. And it’s almost there, but it holds back and doesn’t quite fully go for it.

Overall Bad Times is an enjoyable movie with one of the most fun collections of characters I’ve seen in a while. And with how intriguing the idea and these people are on paper, it lacks that final punch, to really cement itself as a “great” movie, rather than simply a “good” movie.

Oscar hopes: Little to none

Bad Times is filled with good, solid acting performances. I’m just not sure any are Oscar-worthy. Maybe Jeff Bridges or Chris Hemsworth finds their way into the Supporting Actor conversation. Production Design might be an outside possibility.