Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- sardonic
- stylish
- late night thriller viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish, entertaining, and powered by strong performances, while many felt its long runtime and underwhelming finale weakened the elaborate crime mosaic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The hotel-night story is divided among the six strangers and revisits key events from different perspectives.
The El Royale's rooms, corridors, lobby, and surveillance passages organize the characters' encounters and secrets.
The 1960s setting, Vietnam War references, Richard Nixon material, racial tensions, and outsider characters give the neo-noir plot broader social resonance.
Father Daniel Flynn, Laramie Seymour Sullivan, and the other guests arrive under layered names, roles, or secrets.
Films like Bad Times at the El Royale, and why
Pulp Fiction
shared neo-noir crime structure, intersecting strangers, nonlinear storytelling, and sharply stylized violence
Identity
shared contained motel setting, criminal secrets, suspenseful reversals, and morally compromised outsiders
The Hateful Eight
shared single-location crime tension, fragmented perspectives, conspiratorial secrets, and escalating violence
The Killing
shared retro-noir atmosphere, ensemble mystery, hidden identities, and darkly comic suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- Drew Goddard
- Release Date
- 2018-10-04
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (3984)
Cast
- Jeff Bridges
- Cynthia Erivo
- Lewis Pullman
- Dakota Johnson
- Cailee Spaeny
- Jon Hamm
- Chris Hemsworth
- Nick Offerman
- Xavier Dolan
- Shea Whigham
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bad Times at the El Royale about?
- Over one dangerous night at a divided Lake Tahoe hotel, six strangers’ disguises and buried crimes collide in a stylish neo-noir thriller.
- What is Bad Times at the El Royale like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bad Times at the El Royale as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Bad Times at the El Royale violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Bad Times at the El Royale as graphic.
- What did critics think of Bad Times at the El Royale?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish, entertaining, and powered by strong performances, while many felt its long runtime and underwhelming finale weakened the elaborate crime mosaic.
- Which films are like Bad Times at the El Royale?
- Films with a similar feel include Pulp Fiction, Identity, The Hateful Eight, and The Killing.
- How long is Bad Times at the El Royale?
- Bad Times at the El Royale runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bad Times at the El Royale?
- In United States, Bad Times at the El Royale is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
