Bad Times at the El Royale
Bad Times at the El Royale is a 2018 American neo-noir hyperlink thriller film written, directed, and produced by Drew Goddard. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, and Chris Hemsworth. The plot centers on six strangers and an employee at the El Royale, a hotel located along the California–Nevada border, who arrive with dark personal secrets that eventually intersect on a fateful night in the late 1960s. The film explores themes on morality, faith, and redemption, with the state border and other visual elements symbolizing the concept of right and wrong.
Rumors surrounding the personal life of John F. Kennedy influenced the presence of the film reel.
Drew Goddard wrote, produced, and directed the film as his "love letter to the crime thriller" genre.
Joss Whedon, who previously collaborated with Goddard, attended the film's premiere and praised it.
Image: Pioneer Avenue (between Evergreen & Park)
Andrew Brion Hogan Goddard is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He began his career writing episodes for the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, and Lost. After moving into screenwriting in film, he wrote Cloverfield (2008), World War Z (2013), and The Martian (2015), the latter earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2011, he made his directorial debut with The Cabin in the Woods.
Goddard in 2012
Goddard promoting Bad Times at the El Royale in 2018