Plenty of secrets are checking in for ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’

Posted on October 26, 2018

By MARK VIOLA

Director Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill”) is the second most distinctive director working today, next only to Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”). If you’ve seen one Tarantino film, you will immediately recognize another he also directed.

You can also quickly identify films that clearly draw inspiration from Tarantino’s works, such as the new film, “Bad Times at the El Royale,” written and directed by Drew Goddard, best known for writing and directing the modern horror cult classic “Cabin in the Woods” and penning the Academy Award-nominated script for director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of “The Martian.”

In his latest film, Goddard pulls a lot of techniques from the Tarantino toolbox, including non-linear storytelling, title cards separating segments of the film and a copious amount of dialogue. While there are clearly comparisons to be made, “Bad Times at the El Royale” tells a classic story of a group of strangers, each with his or her own secrets, meeting in an isolated location by seemingly random chance. (Not to belabor the point too much, but Tarantino used the same concept in his “The Hateful Eight,” although other examples include 2003’s “Identity” and last year’s “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Goddard, who got his start in television on shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and later “Lost” and “Daredevil,” throws in his own his style to the story, adding elements of horror and mystery to the mix.

Goddard delivers an intriguing collection of characters, played expertly by the film’s talented cast, and manages to keep the tension taut through much of the admittedly long 141-minute runtime, making best use of the story’s location, the title hotel. I can’t say this film will satisfy everyone, and in fact, some of the aspects I enjoyed the most — or at least respected Goddard’s decisions for going in those directions — will likely be the ones others don’t like. It’s difficult to go into too much detail with spoilers, but suffice it to say, Goddard manages to subvert expectations in how and when he delivers his surprises, and, even more importantly, when he chooses not to deliver one at all.

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