Behind The Scenes: Chris Hemsworth & Dakota Johnson On The Set Of BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
The plot of Drew Goddard’s Bad Times At The El Royale seems complex on the surface, but when you peel back the layers (flashbacks, chapters etc) it’s a pretty basic yarn. However, it is a film where every actor brings their A-game. Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson and Jon Hamm are great (even if Hamm gets the short shrift with regards to screen-time). However, the stand-out is Cynthia Erivo as the down-on-her-luck singer. It’s a great performance, one which riffs on the career of Motown singer Darlene Love (she’s called Darlene Sweet). Chris Hemsworth also puts in appearance as the a Charles Manson-style cult leader but it’s more a showcase for his abs workout than his acting chops.
The acting is great but Bad Times At The El Royale also scores very high on a technical level. Martin Whist’s production design is glorious, Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography is beautiful and Michael Giacchino’s score is on-point. This is first-class filmmaking and it’s impressive to see money and detail spent on a movie like this.
Budgeted at $32 million, Bad Times At The El Royale grossed $17.8 million at the US box office and $31.8 million globally following its releases in 2018.
