cPOP Universe - bad time el royale

What is hiding beneath these stranger's facades at the El Royale??

Looking for something out of the ordinary while sifting through Hulu I came upon a wonderfully colorful thumbnail for Bad Times at the El Royale. (Yes, well done thumbnails tickle my brain) Noticing that many of the characters looked like they all came from different walks of life I leaned in further. Then the familiar faces put it over the edge, Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, and Jon Hamm amongst others? Why haven't I heard of this film?

Strangers all with their own questionable stories converge at the El Royale. This once prosperous hotel is now ran by single clerk and sits on the state line between Nevada and California. The strangers and even the hotel itself all have their own secrets and they will all intersect into what becomes a telling and eventful night.

Written and directed by Drew Goddard, this film spoke to me on a few different levels. Goddard created unique and multi layered characters that truly made it fun to go from one to another and learn about their particular story. And this wouldn't have worked without his expertly chosen actors and actresses. Jeff Bridges draws you in with his well known slow pace and perfectly timed facial expressions. Jon Hamm is a guilty pleasure of mine and he didn't disappoint. His character goes in and out of a particular accent and style of speech flawlessly. Chris Hemsworth just looked like he was having a blast with this film and it translated so well to me the viewer. An actress that I was unfamiliar with, Cynthia Erivo, stole the show just from her vocals alone. What a voice! I was excited to see that she is a singer and song writer and look forward to checking out more of her work.

The story, or perhaps stories would be a better term, is a mysterious ride throughout. As it unfolds you find that nothing is as it seems and all of your first attempts at nailing down what makes these strangers tick gets shattered in a delightful way. Despite it's long run time of 2 hours and 20 minutes I never felt like it dragged on due to my fascination with each character's motives and mysteries. This may seem like a lot to throw into one film, but the on point pacing kept me interested throughout the journey.

I love underlying themes and this one does the trick. The most prevalent to me was how a good person can do bad things and a bad person do good things. The intersection of these strangers lives forces them into gut checks to see who they really are underneath and what they will do when presented with options that are far from favorable. They also dive into crisis of faith. You could almost look at this hotel as purgatory and each having a chance at redemption or in some cases acceptance of themselves.

Goddard waves his wand and works magic in this movie design. He inserts subtle cues such as how each person treats the state line that divides the hotel or how a certain film reel (can't say more for spoilers sake) is handled by the characters that come into contact with it to give you an indication of their true self. The way he weaves this story together and slowly unravels the mysteries is both artistic and fun. It has a Quentin Tarantino vibe to it with some of the beats but Goddard's eye behind the wonderfully put together shots.

This was a happy surprise for me if you couldn't tell. No question about it....it's a POP!