Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)★ 7.1/10

"Bad Times at the El Royale" dazzles with its inventive storytelling. The opening sets the tone brilliantly—a man digs a hiding place in a hotel room, and just when you think he’s the lead, he’s abruptly shot dead. It’s a jarring, unexpected twist that promises much, even if not all of it is fulfilled.

The film’s early multi-perspective approach is clever, though it soon becomes repetitive. Replaying the same events and frequent flashbacks bog down the pacing. Several story threads, like the sisters’ backstory or the relationship between Billy and Rose, are left frustratingly underdeveloped.