Bad Times At The El Royale Review: 6 Ups & 2 Downs

2. Seamus McGarvey's Cracking Cinematography

Bad Times At The El Royale
Fox

Goddard was able to secure the services of veteran Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey for the movie, and it results in one of the year's most visually accomplished mid-budget films.

Considering much of the story is constrained to a single locale, McGarvey and Doddard impressively manage to keep their coverage dynamic, thanks to some brilliant long-takes and also many well-placed flashback cutaways.

Overall the film has a warm, classy sheen to it which again likens it to a Tarantino movie: every frame feels carefully, thoughtfully composed for the most cinematic and immersive result possible.

There's virtually nothing here which reeks of merely satisfactory work pawned off on a second unit director: it all feels like one gorgeous, consistent vision.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.