Bad Times at Hotel Royale

A star-studded thriller that begins with minor dissonance and gets progressively more and more uncomfortable as we learn that most of the people are not who they first appear to be; the story gets more complicated and blood begins to splatter.

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The characters are what move the story along as the plot focuses primarily on morality in various forms. Some characters grapple with issues of right and wrong (fabulously visually suggested by the state line that runs through the hotel), while others deal with the manipulations that some men use to gain power over women.

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It’s a neo-noir film that is sometimes annoying and sometimes emotional. There’s music, murder, and a little bit of mystery. I liked it. The actors are very well-cast.

Even though Jeff Bridges is the main actor in this, Cynthia Erivo is the star. When her character is in the room, she sets the tone, and when she sings, time stands still.

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