6.9
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Overview
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Christianity: Positive
Viewer Rating
6.9
Overview
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Center
Primary
The film's narrative primarily explores individual moral choices, the consequences of past actions, and the search for personal redemption, rather than engaging with specific political ideologies or systemic critiques. Its focus on universal human dilemmas and the dangers of charismatic manipulation positions it as largely apolitical.
The film features a cast with visible diversity, including a central Black female character, though it does not involve explicit race or gender swaps of traditionally white roles. The narrative explores the moral complexities of its characters without explicitly critiquing traditional identities or making DEI themes central to its core message.
Secondary
Bad Times at the El Royale features Dwight Broadbeck, a central character whose past same-sex relationship and love for his male partner serve as a key motivator for his criminal actions. His sexuality is presented factually as part of his complex backstory, neither celebrated nor condemned. The film integrates this aspect without judgment, and any tragic outcomes are tied to his criminal lifestyle, not his queer identity.
The film portrays genuine faith through Darlene Sweet as a source of strength and moral resilience amidst chaos. While a character uses a priest's identity as a disguise, the narrative critiques his hypocrisy, not the faith itself. Themes of confession and redemption are explored with empathy through Miles.
Bad Times at the El Royale is a neo-noir thriller centered on a group of strangers with hidden pasts converging at a dilapidated hotel. The film does not feature any transsexual characters or themes, therefore, there is no portrayal to evaluate within the scope of this rubric.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Bad Times at the El Royale is an original story with all new characters created for the film. There are no pre-existing canonical or historical characters whose gender could have been swapped.
Bad Times at the El Royale is an original film with characters created specifically for this story. There are no pre-existing canonical or historical characters whose race could have been altered.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.1
6.8
Critic Ratings
7.5
6.0
More Like This
Center
6.9
In the Valley of Elah
(2007)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low
Center
8.2
Mystic River
(2003)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
7.0
The Pledge
(2001)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Progressive
7.0
The Mighty Quinn
(1989)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Traditional
7.7
The Last of Sheila
(1973)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Neutral
Leans Traditional
7.2
The Deep End
(2001)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Neutral
Center
6.6
Trance
(2013)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Traditional
6.9
Primal Fear
(1996)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Negative
Progressive
8.2
In the Heat of the Night
(1967)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Negative
Center
6.9
The Client
(1994)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Center
8.8
Chinatown
(1974)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low
Center
6.9
Panic Room
(2002)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Traditional
7.3
At Close Range
(1986)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Progressive
6.7
King Ivory
(2025)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Traditional
6.8
Wrath of Man
(2021)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Progressive
7.3
Joker
(2019)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Traditional
7.5
Clean, Shaven
(1995)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
7.7
They Drive by Night
(1940)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.3
All the President's Men
(1976)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Center
7.8
Klute
(1971)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low