Film of the Week: Bad Times at the El Royale

4 October 2019

Written by Melissa Allen, who you can follow on Twitter at @melissajournal

Welcome to our brand new weekly series! Every Friday, we're going to be taking a look at a movie that we've recently enjoyed, and sharing our experience with readers! This week, we're taking a look at a film which may not be known by many, but for those who have seen it, know that it's an incredible new take on film noir. We're talking about Bad Times at the El Royale.

Film of the Week on Female First

This film is a true masterpiece, with a star-studded cast including Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Bridges and Dakota Johnson. The film follows seven characters, all brought to the El Royale hotel by very different means, who all have plans for their separate lives. As each character gets to know the hotel, they are surprised by its sinister backstory – just as they are surprised by the backstory of those they are surrounded by.

Rarely are films all shot with such precision as this one, as Drew Goddard’s vision from many years ago finally comes to life; from the carefully-selected music and songs, to the actors who make this picture a stunning reality. Shot in just a single location - the El Royale hotel - it's a very claustrophobic flick at times.

Each room was carefully decorated to give off a different feel. One is warm, whilst another exudes danger, and so on. Each set you see has been meticulously planned for years and, due to the preparation, perfectly match the characters and their personalities.

Darleen Sweet (Cynthia Erivo) is perhaps the most interesting character, with Erivo cast because she could not only act but sing, beautifully! They recorded all of her singing on-set – thus giving the film a much more realistic and grounded feel, truly bringing out the beauty and magnificence of shooting a film in this way.

What we have here is a must-watch! It will not disappoint.