The film starts with a man moving all the items of a hotel room in one corner, he then removes the carpet n the floorboards, stashes a bag underneath n puts back all the things in place. After he has finished his mysterious work.....
Fast forward ten years n destiny brings together a group of people who all end up at this same hotel on a dark rainy night due to different circumstances.
Comparison to The Identity is present but please do not compare it to Tarantino style films jus cos it has a nonlinear approach.
Fellas who r comparing the nonlinear film style to Tarantino's films ain't aware of Jean-Luc Godard, the pioneer of nonlinear filmmaking.
Is it a coincidence that the surname of the director of this film too is Goddard.
Drew Goddard is in full Jean-Luc Godard-esque mood.
Attention is required as every person at the El Royale has a story n
the background story of all the characters were properly interwined.
Some of the scenes r way too slow n the editing needed some post production work.
Jus few days back i saw Chronicles of the Ghostly tribe n i wrote in its review that the flashbacks were confusing n not at all gripping but in El Royale the flashbacks were intriguing n not at all confusing.
The film is visually striking and offers a high level of ambience.
It has lots of eerie mood, good suspense, a great sense of dread throughout. The background story of one of the character which is shown towards the end is a bit shocking n well placed.
The owners of the hotel remained mystery but that is another story.....