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Bad Night (2015)

92min - English

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When Kate and Abby are mistaken for famous art thieves, their fun night out quickly goes from good to bad.

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Directed by Chris Riedell , Nick Riedell

Best friends. Worst criminals.

When Kate and Abby are mistaken for famous art thieves, their fun night out quickly goes from good to bad.

Lauren Luthringshausen Jenn McAllister Julianna Guill Judy Marte Owen Smith Gareth Reynolds Matt Walsh Molly Ringwald June Diane Raphael Ted Travelstead Eric Edelstein Jayson Paul Michael Balalis Jade Bender John Mark Loudermilk Daniel Button Casey Wilson Adam Pally Jack McBrayer Jim O'Heir Marc Evan Jackson Nellie Sciutto Saxon Anderson

Directors Directors

Chris Riedell Nick Riedell

Producers Producers

Jenn McAllister Karen Pinto Lauren Luthringshausen A.J. Tesler Mitch Federer

Writer Writer

Daniel Kinno

Casting Casting

Editor editor.

Ed Yonaitis

Cinematography Cinematography

Nico van den Berg

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Gary R. Benz Michael Branton

Production Design Production Design

Amelia Brooke

Stunts Stunts

Amy Johnston

Composer Composer

GRB Entertainment

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish

Alternative Title

Comedy Adventure

Releases by Date

21 jul 2015, releases by country.

92 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Serena0205 ★★★★

i love jenn! this movie is so fun and silly!

Review by Clara ½

June Diane Raphael this was a cry for help

Review by ourboldhero ★★½

I was only able to get through the first half of this movie by spotting the many well-known comedic actors with bit parts.

(It's weird though, the other roles in this movie are played by earnest but unmemorable improvy nobodies, like someone got a package deal on one agent's stable or something.)

The movie finally becomes watchable in the last half - it's more focused, actually made me laugh a few times, and the girls and their accomplice have good chemistry together. But it's not very funny - in fact it's annoying at times - and not very exciting. Probably a fun watch for comedy fans, but not for fans of comedy.

Review by Matt Skylar ★★½

Fairly enjoyable teen comedy, even if some of the jokes were a little off/stale, and the sick gag was beyond disgusting.

It had a nice soundtrack and it was a weird feel good movie, reminded me a lot of last year's Mom's Night Out. Good cameo from Molly Ringwald as a villainess too.

Review by agathstin harkfinity ★★ 1

A fun little movie! I love how they got into the wrong cars PLEEK! Viceroy & Monarch were slayying. This is my first time seeing Jenn act in anything and I loved her in this movie!! (I NEED TO WATCH FOURSOME & ALL NIGHT I KNOW I KNOW) OH ALSO I was NOT expecting to see Molly Ringwald? Queen!

THANK YOU SERENA FOR LETTING ME KNOW THAT THIS MOVIE EXISTS!!! 

FOLLOW JENN MCALLISTER ON TWITCH

Jenn McAllister Twitch  ↩️

Review by natacha !¡ ★ 2

irado te amiga pra assalta banco tbm queria mas a producao super precaria capenga o direto deve te se formado num cursinho de cinema meio periodo do senai juro as atriz principal com essa expressao 😐 o tempo todo me passaram depressao pela tela ! e parece que os bandido capanga ele escolheu a dedo no boteco da esquina e falo assim: se vcs participa do meu filme do 1 saquinho de amendoim verde e 2 latinha de cerveja pra cada querem ? ai eles eba sim e toparam

Review by elissa ★★

Review by Bianca Nadine ★★

Enjoyed it a lot more than expected.

Review by Paul Perkins ★★★

Abby (Jenn McAllister) and Kate (Lauren Elizabeth Luthringshausen) are friends stuck on a school trip on a Saturday that nobody wishes to be on. On their way, they stop for lunch and the entire class, driver and teacher succumb to food poisoning with the exception of Abby and Kate, so they have to stay in a hotel for the night. Bored with this Abby and Kate decide to sneak out and have some fun, but the quickly become involved in case of mistaken identity and become embroiled in an art theft. This film, while certainly no masterpiece, is a lot more fun that I could have ever expected, mostly thanks to the rather charming lead actresses. They have bags of…

Review by allcohollica 1

que filme ruim cara... cara pensei que independence day era ruim... NOOOOOSSA... RUIM... NOOOOOSSA... QUE BOSTA... CARA QUE FILME RUIM VELHO... TA BOM TA BOM DOURADO... mudou meu conceito de horrivel... NOSSA QUE BOSTA

Review by tesslani ½ 5

Review by liamcanulty ★★★★★

Never seen this 🤭J needed to use this to spread my jenn agenda. I HAVE BEEN A MF DAY ONE FAN AND WE’RE STILL GOING STRONG LOVE HER SWEAR AND LIKE SHE IS SO DAMN FUNNY 🫡

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Bad Night (2015)

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When Kate and Abby are mistaken for famous art thieves, their fun night out quickly goes from good to bad.

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• 1 hr 32 min
• 4.9   (695)

Bad Night is a 2015 comedy film directed by Chris Riedell and Nick Riedell. The plot follows two high school best friends, Kate (Lauren Elizabeth) and Abby (Jenn McAllister), who plan to sneak out of their boring lives and attend a once-in-a-lifetime event. However, when their plans go awry, they find themselves running from the law and encountering a series of wacky misadventures.

The film begins with Kate and Abby browsing social media and stumbling upon an exclusive concert in Los Angeles. Desperate for a change of pace, they concoct a plan to sneak out and attend the event, despite being grounded by their parents. Kate's younger sister, Emily (Liza Koshy), helps them sneak out, but the pair quickly realize they're in over their heads when they arrive at the party.

The girls run into trouble when they accidentally witness a murder committed by a notorious criminal, played by Matt Walsh. Forced to go on the run, Kate and Abby find themselves in a series of mishaps including getting punched in the face by a bouncer, crashing a celebrity wedding, and being chased by the police. Throughout the film, the girls continue to make bad decisions, such as stealing a car, and face the consequences of their actions.

Their journey is spiced up when they meet Jim (Casey Wilson) and Sienna (Julianna Guill), two wild and unpredictable women who lead the girls on an unexpected adventure. Jim and Sienna add a layer of unpredictability to the plot, as the girls don't know what to expect from them next. Together, the four women navigate the wilds of Los Angeles, working to clear their names and avoid being arrested.

The film is filled with slapstick humor, witty one-liners, and a pinch of heart. The main characters are likeable and provide plenty of laughs, particularly when they are put in awkward and dangerous situations. The story is fast-paced and keeps the audience engaged throughout the entirety of the movie.

The setting for the film is spectacular, as the majority of the scenes take place in Los Angeles. The city adds a level of vibrancy to the film and creates an evocative and lively backdrop. The famous landmarks and iconic buildings in the city provide an added level of immersion for the viewers, making them feel like they're running alongside the characters.

One of the significant themes in the film is the importance of friendship. The friendship between Kate and Abby is tested throughout their harrowing adventure, and they are forced to learn how to work together in order to survive their predicament. The film does a good job of portraying the ups and downs of a friendship while still maintaining a sense of humor and lightness.

Overall, Bad Night is an entertaining and enjoyable comedy film that delivers plenty of laughs and fun. Though it is a bit cheesy at times, the film features a unique storyline, a talented cast of actors, and plenty of humorous moments to keep audiences engaged. Fans of comedy and those who enjoy a good adventure will find this movie to be an enjoyable watch.

• Genres Comedy Adventure
• Cast Lauren Elizabeth Jenn McAllister Julianna Guill
• Director Chris Riedell Nick Riedell
• Release Date 2015
• MPAA Rating NR
• Runtime 1 hr 32 min
• Language English
• IMDB Rating 4.9   (695)

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• What is the release date of 'Bad Night'? Release date of Adam Pally and Jenn McAllister starrer 'Bad Night' is 2015-07-21.
• Who are the actors in 'Bad Night'? 'Bad Night' star cast includes Adam Pally and Jenn McAllister.
• Who is the director of 'Bad Night'? 'Bad Night' is directed by Chris Riedell.
• What is Genre of 'Bad Night'? 'Bad Night' belongs to 'Comedy, Adventure, Crime' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Bad Night' releasing? 'Bad Night' is releasing in English.

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20 Ideal Films For Your Bad Movie Night

So there you are with your popcorn and your enthusiasm, waiting for lightning to strike, but instead of being blown away by $200 million worth of spectacle you get Transformers: Age Of Extinction.

Nobody goes to the multiplex for Great Art, but if you can’t get two hours of decent popcorn, what’s the point? You’re better off staying at home, watching the kind of films your local plex would pay not to show.

We’re not just talking about amateurish acting, dime-store effects and absurdly quotable dialogue, but also concepts so thoroughly bizarre you can’t believe anyone was willing to throw money at them. Ray Milland’s head being grafted onto Rosey Grier’s body? Only in the 1970s!

No matter how weird the going gets, though, these pictures never lose sight of why we go to the movies – we are there to have fun, not watch ice melt for two hours while feeling disappointed. It’s a lesson the makers of sequels, reboots and superhero movies would do well to learn.

20. From Hell It Came (1957)

A picture guaranteed to bring out the worst puns imaginable (“His bark’s worse than his bite”, “what a sap”, “surely knot” etc.), From Hell It Came convincingly depicts the “old legend” of Tabanga, the tree monster who, as any anthropologist will tell you “walked to avenge its wrongs.”

On a “savage island” in the South Seas populated by white English-speaking extras, a Prince named Kimo is sentenced to death by ceremonial dagger for supposedly murdering a chief, but every b-movie fan knows that when a wrongly-convicted man swears vengeance on his persecutors before being buried in a hollow tree trunk, it’s only a matter of time before he returns as another actor in a silly costume.

And what a costume it is. Unlikely to scare anyone except the film’s financial backers, who likely imagined the shirts disappearing off their backs, Tabanga was designed by an uncredited Paul Blaisdell which isn’t too hard to guess as the ambulatory antagonist possesses the same fluid grace as his finest creation, the conical cucumber creature from Roger Corman’s It Conquered The World.

19. Grizzly II: The Concert (1987)

All concert and no grizzly, this belated sequel to William Girdler’s 1976 killer bear opus was still shooting when financial squabbles caused the Hungarian government to shut the production down, leaving the unfinished picture in limbo until a leaked workprint appeared online in 2007.

Wish we could say this is The Greatest Movie You Never Saw, but Grizzly II is to Girdler what Jaws II was to Spielberg, only much, much less. It does however feature Oscar winner Louise Fletcher as a park superintendent who wants that evening’s Nazareth concert to go ahead despite the mauling of fellow Oscar winner George Clooney, who made the mistake of wandering past a sign reading CLOSED BECAUSE OF BEAR DANGER with pals Charlie Sheen and Laura Dern.

Then there’s John Rhys Davies in the Robert Shaw role as a “French-Indian” bear-trapper who claims that in order to catch a grizzly you have to act like a grizzly, think like a grizzly, smell with his nose and wander through the woods in daylight while the rest of the movie is taking place after dark.

Throw in Charles Cyphers (Halloween) as another grizzled grizzly hunter, Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3) as head of “Bear Management” and Deborah Foreman (April Fool’s Day) as lead Teen In Peril and you have a ‘movie’ that’s irresistible to fans of watching famous faces demean themselves for a paycheck.

18. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)

Shot in a converted aircraft hangar by an inexperienced crew, with thrift store costumes and props made from household items, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians is a perfect example of what happens when an enterprising producer attempts to make a children’s Christmas movie, but can only afford to mount it on a budget of half a shoestring.

The Martians here are not the malevolent creatures depicted in War Of The Worlds but unemployed stage actors wearing green costumes, green face paint and, for some reason, TV antennae, which prompts one Earth girl to enquire, “Are you a television set?”

Ironically, the Martian children have intercepted Earth television signals and, exposed to broadcasts from the North Pole, become despondent at the prospect of never meeting a well-fed alcoholic in a red suit. Considering what the lack of a proper childhood did to Michael Jackson, it’s understandable that the parents decide to kidnap Santa and bring him to Mars, but the mission is endangered by Voldar, who we know must be the epitome of evil because he has a moustache.

Called “the worst science fiction flick ever made” by The Monster Times, the movie marked the screen debut of Pia Zadora, who is here surrounded by cardboard robots, a guy in a polar bear costume and aliens armed with Wham-O Air Blasters. The future ‘star’ has precious little screen time and says next to nothing, but boy did she start as she meant to go on.

17. Rat Man (1988)

Any hope that this was going to be a superhero parody in the vein of Ray Dennis Steckler’s awesome Rat Pfink A Boo Boo was quelled by the tagline: “He’s the critter from the shi**er!”

In the main story, swimsuit model Eva Grimaldi is taunting her photographer (“The only thing he’s got that clicks with me is a shutter”) when an attack by the eponymous creature, who does indeed emerge from a latrine, forces them to seek help at a nearby doctor’s residence.

Unfortunately, the doc seems to know more about ol’ ratface than Ms Grimaldi is comfortable with, ultimately ranting about how his “Greatest achievement” was to fertilize a monkey ovum with the sperm of a rat, which he thought would win him the Nobel Prize but instead created a monster (what’re the odds?).

Intercut with this is the arbitrary sub-plot of sister Janet Agren (City Of The Living Dead) and writer David Warbeck (The Beyond) searching for Grimaldi by puttering about in dark, deserted houses and storming ideas for Warbeck’s new novel. Since they never do very much or share screen time with the other performers, their scenes feel like an afterthought tacked on in post-production, as does the abrupt, unbelievable ending.

16. Massacre In Dinosaur Valley (1985)

Directed by the auteur behind Women In Fury, Undergraduate Girls and the disarmingly titled A Policewoman On The Porno Squad, Massacre In Dinosaur Valley is loaded with gratuitous nudity, cheesy laughs, gratuitous nudity, fake gore and did we mention gratuitous nudity?

It’s your typical story of an Indiana Jones-ish adventurer and two lingerie models who, following a plane crash, are set upon by a succession of leering voyeurs. First, and most bizarre, are the tribesmen who force the girls into their birthday suits so they can dance for a claw-handed deity who emerges from a cloud of smoke.

Escaping with suspicious ease, they next encounter a perverted slave owner. While he attends to his illegal mining operation, the girls are “entertained” by his lesbian henchwoman, who whisks them off for a first date they’ll never forget.

The film also lends itself to a drinking game: take a drink every time the director comes up with another way of denuding his cast.

15. Dracula The Dirty Old Man (1969)

Had history played out differently, Dracula The Dirty Old Man would’ve been just another forgettable no-budget monster nudie flick. To the gratitude of bad movie fans, however, the director lost the soundtrack in post-production and decided to redub it as a comedy, turning a threadbare sex farce into a movie that must be seen to be believed.

For budgetary reasons, Count Dracula lives in one of California’s Bronson Caves and, after transforming a nosy journalist into a lycanthrope named Irving Jackalman, instructs him to procure young virgins. When the starlets are delivered to his cave, the Count ties them up, starts fondling them and….that’s when the movie goes mad.

Dubbed with the voice of a bad Bela Lugosi impersonator, the Count points out technical goofs and jokes about how cheap the movie looks. In between denuding starlets, he’ll look around his cave and say, “I’ve got to get a new interior decorator.” At one point, he says, “I am Count Dracula. Which is Alucard backwards. So you can call me Ali.”

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TAGGED AS: movies , rotten , worst

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100 Worst Movies of All Time

It’s bad movies galore as we encounter the Rottenest of the Rotten: 100 movies that scored less than 6% (from at least 20 reviews) with the critics on the Tomatometer!

You’re going to see lots of 0% movies, and there’s even more out there, but the ones on this list all have at least 20 reviews. We wanted to make sure the movies we’re “vouching” for as the worst ever have inflicted a minimum threshold of agony on critics. And the 20-review entry applies for every other movie on this list, and that includes the usual suspects of garbage cinema, like the deep space train wreck  Battlefield Earth , the box office turkey (turtle?)  The Master of Disguise , Netflix’s lazy western  The Ridiculous 6 , and flaccid softcore  Killing Me Softly  (which also makes a dubious appearance in the  200 best and worst erotic movies ).

You may also note a number of significant stinkers are from the past 20 years. It’s not just because Uwe Boll was employed during this time period. And, by the way, he’s actually beat by dubious directing duo Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, who have  four  movies on the list. Instead, it’s the fact more reviews are being written and collected than ever before, so today’s disasters have a better chance of vaunting over 20 reviews. (And for movies that share the same score, more reviews means you’re placed higher within the ranking.)

But fret not: Plenty of yesteryear’s bombs are here. After all, the decade that produced  Mac & Me  has a lot to account for. Some of the classic trash featured includes the soul-sucking  Mortal Kombat: Annihilation ,  Speed 2: Cruise Control  (see what happens when you throw Keanu overboard?), off-the-deep-end  Jaws: The Revenge , and prime directive-violating  RoboCop 3 .

What you  won’t  see: Some legendary bad movies like  Cats ,  Birdemic , and  The Room , all of which have cleared at least a 10% Tomatometer. That’s right, they were  too good . And  Miami Connection  and  Plan 9 From Outer Space  are actually Fresh!

Most recently, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey has squeezed in, the first movie to appear since 2020’s The Last Days of American Crime . Then we added the Alison Brie/John Cena joint Freelance .

Now that we set the mood for truly bad movies, start the most painful watchlist you’ll ever make with the 100 worst movies of all time! — Alex Vo

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002) 0%

One Missed Call (2008) 0%

Left Behind (2014) 0%

A Thousand Words (2012) 0%

Gotti (2018) 0%

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Redline (2007) 0%

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Alone in the Dark (2005) 1%

The Master of Disguise (2002) 1%

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Epic Movie (2007) 2%

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The In Crowd (2000) 2%

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Battlefield Earth (2000) 3%

Rollerball (2002) 3%

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FeardotCom (2002) 3%

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The Roommate (2011) 3%

Deuces Wild (2002) 3%

The Mod Squad (1999) 3%

The Apparition (2012) 3%

House of the Dead (2003) 3%

Down to You (2000) 3%

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) 3%

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011) 3%

Deal (2008) 3%

The Darkness (2016) 3%

Passion Play (2010) 3%

Getting Even With Dad (1994) 3%

McHale's Navy (1997) 3%

Arsenal (2017) 3%

Twelve (2010) 3%

The Toy (1982) 3%

Shadow Conspiracy (1997) 7%

Because I Said So (2007) 4%

Godsend (2004) 4%

The Whole Ten Yards (2004) 4%

Serving Sara (2002) 4%

Vampires Suck (2010) 4%

Movie 43 (2013) 5%

Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) 4%

Flatliners (2017) 4%

Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) 4%

The Covenant (2006) 4%

The Fog (2005) 4%

Zoom (2006) 4%

A Little Bit of Heaven (2011) 4%

Material Girls (2006) 4%

Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997) 4%

BloodRayne (2005) 4%

Scary Movie V (2013) 4%

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) 4%

The Cold Light of Day (2012) 4%

A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994) 4%

Just Getting Started (2017) 4%

The Last Airbender (2010) 5%

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A detective turned restaurant inspector in Key West is pulled into a world of greed and corruption after a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. And yes, there's a monkey. A detective turned restaurant inspector in Key West is pulled into a world of greed and corruption after a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. And yes, there's a monkey. A detective turned restaurant inspector in Key West is pulled into a world of greed and corruption after a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. And yes, there's a monkey.

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Bad times at the el royale.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 12 Reviews
• Kids Say 8 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Dark, violent crime movie has some inspired moments.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Bad Times at the El Royale is a Tarantino-esque crime movie with tons of stylized, over-the-top violence. You'll see lots of guns and shooting (including murders via shotgun), bloody wounds, blood spatters, death, punching and hitting, knives, and stabbing. Women are shot, punched,…

Why Age 17+?

Extremely strong, over-the-top, bloody violence. Guns and shooting, with deaths

Very strong language includes uses of "f--k," "s--t," "Jesus f---ing Christ," "h

Character shown passed out with a needle sticking out of his arm; he appears to

Naked man on beach shown in silhouette. Reference to a "whore." References to pe

Any Positive Content?

Messages aren't the point here, but there's some attempt at teamwork later in th

All the characters are on the wrong side of the law, are victims, or have shady

Violence & Scariness

Extremely strong, over-the-top, bloody violence. Guns and shooting, with deaths via gun (very first scene is shotgun murder). Characters die; one murder revisited multiple times from different perspectives. Blood spatters. Bloody, gory wounds. Scene of Vietnam War shows hundreds of dead bodies. Woman tied to chair; hostages tied up. Knives and stabbing. Punching, hitting with blunt objects/bottles. A man hits a woman. Fighting; one fistfight involves a young girl. Flashback to a scene with abusive father, two little girls. Characters shoved up against wall. Car wreck. Reference to a man beating a "whore." References to many violent, twisted acts. A woman's career is threatened unless she does a producer a "favor."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Very strong language includes uses of "f--k," "s--t," "Jesus f---ing Christ," "hell," "a--hole," "goddamn," "negro," "whore."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Character shown passed out with a needle sticking out of his arm; he appears to be an addict. Fairly frequent smoking, social drinking (whiskey). A man slips a drug into a woman's drink.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Naked man on beach shown in silhouette. Reference to a "whore." References to people having sex/sexual acts. Shirtless man shown frequently. Brief image of a topless woman. Implied sexual relationship between a young girl and an adult man.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Messages aren't the point here, but there's some attempt at teamwork later in the movie, with characters using their skills/abilities to help others. Some forgiveness/compassion.

Positive Role Models

All the characters are on the wrong side of the law, are victims, or have shady pasts. Some keep trying -- and reveal goodness/humanity -- but overall these aren't characters to admire.

Parents need to know that Bad Times at the El Royale is a Tarantino-esque crime movie with tons of stylized, over-the-top violence. You'll see lots of guns and shooting (including murders via shotgun), bloody wounds, blood spatters, death, punching and hitting, knives, and stabbing. Women are shot, punched, and tied up, and a war flashback includes hundreds of dead bodies. A man is shown naked in silhouette; nothing sensitive is visible. There are also spoken references to sex/sex acts and prostitutes. Language is very strong, with many uses of "f--k," "s--t," and more. A character is shown passed out with a needle sticking out of his arm, and there's fairly frequent smoking and drinking (whiskey). The director ( Drew Goddard ) and cast ( Jeff Bridges , Dakota Johnson , Chris Hemsworth , Jon Hamm , and more) will no doubt appeal to many, and while it's a bit flat in places, there's enough here to make it worth a viewing for mature moviegoers. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (12)
• Kids say (8)

Based on 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, it's 1969, and several people arrive at the El Royale Hotel, which is on the border between California and Nevada. The group includes traveling salesman Seymour Sullivan ( Jon Hamm ), forgetful priest Father Flynn ( Jeff Bridges ), struggling singer Darlene Sweet (Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo, of Broadway's The Color Purple ), and the mysterious Emily ( Dakota Johnson ), who appears to have kidnapped a young woman ( Cailee Spaeny ). They all check in with clerk Miles (Lewis Pullman), who seems to be running the entire hotel by himself. Once the guests lock their doors, the truth begins to come out. Nothing is as it seems, and shady secrets abound. But everything changes when magnetic cult leader Billy Lee ( Chris Hemsworth ) turns up. In a violent showdown, all secrets will be revealed.

Is It Any Good?

Part Agatha Christie and part Quentin Tarantino , this multi-character crime/chamber piece is too long, with too many stops and starts, but it has enough inspired moments to make it worth a look. Written and directed by Drew Goddard , Bad Times at the El Royale starts with a bang -- a flashback featuring Nick Offerman -- and then slows down for a long time. More flashbacks have the effect of stopping the movie dead in its tracks. And, despite the presence of such commanding actors as Hamm, Bridges, and Hemsworth, the characters are somehow a little flat.

But the movie is cleverly designed, with a fascinating use of space and sound. A sequence involving a kind of secret room is mesmerizing, especially when it involves Darlene. She's a real surprise in that she's actually not a criminal, though she certainly has a troubled past. When she cuts loose and sings in her room, all the characters stop and listen. The movie's canny use of echoey sound makes her songs all the more heartbreaking. The other ace in the hole is Miles, played by Bill Pullman 's son, Lewis. Even though his flashback/origin story comes late in the film, his dark secrets are worth waiting for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Bad Times at the El Royale 's violence . Does the exaggerated nature make it more thrilling? More shocking? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

How are drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

Which of the characters would you say are good people? How can you tell? Are some characters likable even if they've done bad things or have a dark past?

Have you ever had a big secret? Would you ever share it? Why or why not?

Movie Details

• In theaters : October 12, 2018
• On DVD or streaming : January 1, 2019
• Cast : Chris Hemsworth , Jon Hamm , Dakota Johnson
• Director : Drew Goddard
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 141 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong violence, language, some drug content and brief nudity
• Last updated : December 2, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Ebert’s Most Hated

If you think "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" is bad --and "Dukes of Hazzard" and "Stealth" and...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sometimes, Roger Ebert is exposed to bad movies. When that happens, it is his duty — if not necessarily his pleasure — to report them (fairly, accurately) as he sees them. Whether they’re so bad they’re funny, so bad they’re not funny, or so unfunny they’re not funny, he must critique them. From bad Elvis to Deuce Bigalow, these are excerpts from reviews of some of the worst movies he’s ever seen. (Click on the titles for the full reviews.) It’s not just their measly ratings — from zero to 1.5 stars — but what Ebert has to say about them that really conveys their true awfulness.

Alleged comedies

“ Joe Dirt “

We professional movie critics count it a banner week when only one movie involves eating, falling into or being covered by excrement (or a cameo appearance by Carson Daly). We are not prudes. We are prepared to laugh. But what these movies, including “Joe Dirt,” often do not understand is that the act of being buried in crap is not in and of itself funny.

“ North “

I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.

“ One Woman or Two “

Add it all up, and what you’ve got here is a waste of good electricity. I’m not talking about the electricity between the actors. I’m talking about the current to the projector.

“ Mad Dog Time “

“Mad Dog Time” is the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time. Oh, I’ve seen bad movies before. But they usually made me care about how bad they were. Watching “Mad Dog Time” is like waiting for the bus in a city where you’re not sure they have a bus line…. “Mad Dog Time” should be cut into free ukulele picks for the poor.

“ The Hot Chick “

The movie resolutely avoids all the comic possibilities of its situation, and becomes one more dumb high school comedy about sex gags and prom dates…. Through superhuman effort of the will, I did not walk out of “The Hot Chick,” but reader, I confess I could not sit through the credits. The MPAA rates this PG-13. It is too vulgar for anyone under 13, and too dumb for anyone over 13.

“ Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo “

“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” makes a living prostituting himself. How much he charges I’m not sure, but the price is worth it if it keeps him off the streets and out of another movie. “Deuce Bigalow” is aggressively bad, as if it wants to cause suffering to the audience. The best thing about it is that it runs for only 75 minutes…. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.

“ B.A.P.S. ” (1997)

The movie doesn’t work, but was there any way this material could ever have worked? My guess is that African Americans will be offended by the movie, and whites will be embarrassed. The movie will bring us all together, I imagine, in paralyzing boredom.

“ Baby Geniuses “

This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, “Heaven lies about us in our infancy.” If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we’d all we happier. But I press on.

“ Sorority Boys “

I should be a good sport and go along with the joke. But the joke is not funny. The movie is not funny. If it’s this easy to get a screenplay filmed in Hollywood, why did they bother with that Project Greenlight contest? Why not ship all the entries directly to Larry Brezner , Michael Fottrell and Walter Hamada, the producers of “Sorority Boys,” who must wear Santa suits to work?

“ Spice World “

The Spice Girls are easier to tell apart than the Mutant Ninja Turtles, but that is small consolation: What can you say about five women whose principal distinguishing characteristic is that they have different names? They occupy “Spice World” as if they were watching it: They’re so detached they can’t even successfully lip-synch their own songs.

“ An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn “

In taking his name off the film, Arthur Hiller has wisely distanced himself from the disaster, but on the basis of what’s on the screen I cannot, frankly, imagine any version of this film that I would want to see. The only way to save this film would be to trim 86 minutes.

“ The Waterboy “

Do I have something visceral against Adam Sandler ? I hope not. I try to keep an open mind and approach every movie with high hopes. It would give me enormous satisfaction (and relief) to like him in a movie. But I suggest he is making a tactical error when he creates a character whose manner and voice has the effect of fingernails on a blackboard, and then expects us to hang in there for a whole movie.

“ Sour Grapes “

How to account for the fact that Larry David is one of the creators of “Seinfeld”? Maybe he works well with others. I can’t easily remember a film I’ve enjoyed less. “North,” a comedy I hated, was at least able to inflame me with dislike. “Sour Grapes” is a movie that deserves its title: It’s puckered, deflated and vinegary. It’s a dead zone.

“ The Dukes of Hazzard “

It’s a retread of a sitcom that ran from about 1979 to 1985, years during which I was able to find better ways to pass my time. Yes, it is still another TV program I have never ever seen. As this list grows, it provides more and more clues about why I am so smart and cheerful…. Bo and Luke are involved in a mishap that causes their faces to be blackened with soot, and then, wouldn’t you know, they drive into an African-American neighborhood, where their car is surrounded by ominous young men who are not amused by blackface, or by the Confederate flag painted on the car. I was hoping maybe the boyz n the hood would carjack the General, which would provide a fresh twist to the story, but no, the scene sinks into the mire of its own despond.

“ She's Out of Control ” (1989)

What planet did the makers of this film come from? What assumptions do they have about the purpose and quality of life? I ask because “She’s Out of Control” is simultaneously so bizarre and so banal that it’s a first: the first movie fabricated entirely from sitcom cliches and plastic lifestyles, without reference to any known plane of reality.

“ A Lot Like Love “

Judging by their dialogue, Oliver and Emily have never read a book or a newspaper, seen a movie, watched TV, had an idea, carried on an interesting conversation or ever thought much about anything. The movie thinks they are cute and funny, which is embarrassing, like your uncle who won’t stop with the golf jokes…. Later they Meet Cute again, walk into a bar, drink four shots of Jack Daniel’s in one minute, and order a pitcher of beer. No, they’re not alcoholics. This is just Movie Behavior; for example, at first she smokes and then she stops and then she starts again. That supplies her with a Personality Characteristic.

“ Tommy Boy “

“Tommy Boy” is one of those movies that plays like an explosion down at the screenplay factory. You can almost picture a bewildered office boy, his face smudged with soot, wandering through the ruins and rescuing pages at random. Too bad they didn’t mail them to the insurance company instead of filming them.

“ Freddy Got Fingered “

This movie doesn’t scrape the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn’t the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn’t below the bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels.

Hideous horror & science afflictions

“ Catwoman “

She becomes Catwoman, but what is a catwoman? She can leap like a cat, strut around on top of her furniture, survive great falls and hiss. Berry looks great doing these things, and spends a lot of time on all fours, inspiring our almost unseemly gratitude for her cleavage. She gobbles down tuna and sushi. Her eyes have vertical pupils instead of round ones. She sleeps on a shelf. The movie doesn’t get into the litter box situation. What does she think about all of this?

“ The Guardian “

Of the many threats to modern man documented in horror films — the slashers, the haunters, the body snatchers — the most innocent would seem to be the druids. What, after all, can a druid really do to you, apart from dropping fast-food wrappers on the lawn while worshipping your trees?

“ Ben “

I wonder how Ben learned English. I seem to recall from “Willard,” last summer’s big rat movie, that Willard trained Ben to heel, beg, roll over, play dead and sic Ernest Borgnine . Not bad for a rat. But when did Ben learn English? It takes Berlitz six weeks of intensive training to get a French businessman to the point where he can proposition a girl on Rush St. — and here’s Ben learning instinctively.

“ Stargate “

It is also the kind of movie where the sun god Ra, who has harnessed the ability to traverse the universe at the speed of light, still needs slaves to build his pyramids. And where the local equivalent of a Nubian princess is sent into the chamber of the Earth visitors, to pleasure them. Don’t tell me there aren’t any coincidences. The movie “ Ed Wood ,” about the worst director of all time, was made to prepare us for “Stargate.”

“ 13 Ghosts “

The shatterproof glass cages, we learn, are engraved with ”containment spells” that keep the ghosts inside. You can see the ghosts with special glasses, which the cast is issued; when they see them, we see them, usually in shots so maddeningly brief we don’t get a good look. Our consolation, I guess, is that the cast has the glasses but we will have the pause button when ”13 Ghosts” comes out on DVD. The only button this movie needs more than pause is delete.

“ Constantine “

The forces of hell manifest themselves in many ways. One victim is eaten by flies. A young girl is possessed by a devil, and Constantine shouts, “I need a mirror! Now! At least three feet high!” He can capture the demon in the mirror and throw it out the window, see, although you wonder why supernatural beings would have such low-tech security holes.

“ The Devil's Rain “

But . . . what IS the Devil’s Rain? This is a question frequently asked in “The Devil’s Rain” and, believe me, frequently answered. Picture it this way: All the good things of life are on one side of a sheet of plate glass, and you’re on the other, and it’s raining on your side, bunky.

“ Critters 2: The Main Course “

“Critters 2: The Main Course” is a movie about furry little hand puppets with lots of teeth, who are held up to salad bars by invisible puppeteers while large numbers of actors scream and pronounce unlikely dialogue.

“ Deep Rising “

The owner of the ship ( Anthony Heald ) makes several speeches boasting about how stable it is; it can stay level even during a raging tempest. I wonder if those speeches were inserted after the filmmakers realized how phony their special effects look. Every time we see the ship, it’s absolutely immobile in the midst of churning waves.

‘ “ The Deathmaster “

These people are not very bright. They are so dumb, in fact, that they have had to learn to speak the English language by watching old AIP exploitation movies, and their dialog is eight years out of date. They talk like Frankie Avalon trying to pass for hip, translated from the German. Count Khorda (for such is his name) makes them a proposition: “Would you like to trade a lifetime of petty passions for an eternity of ecstasy,” They would, I guess. Well, wouldn’t you?

“ Cyborg “

The movie takes place in a future world in which all civilization has been reduced to a few phony movie sets. Leather-clad neo-Nazis stalk through the ruins, beating each other senseless and talking in Pulpspeak, which is like English, but without the grace and modulation. It’s cold in the future, and it’s wet, but never so cold or wet that the costumes do not bare the arm muscles of the men and the heaving bosoms of the women.

“Halloween III” (“ Season of the Witch “)

The one saving grace in “Halloween III” is Stacey Nelkin , who plays the heroine. She has one of those rich voices that makes you wish she had more to say and in a better role. But watch her, too, in the reaction shots: When she’s not talking, she’s listening. She has a kind of rapt, yet humorous, attention that I thought was really fetching. Too bad she plays her last scene without a head.

“ Armageddon “

OK, say you do succeed in blowing up an asteroid the size of Texas. What if a piece the size of Dallas is left? Wouldn’t that be big enough to destroy life on Earth? What about a piece the size of Austin? Let’s face it: Even an object the size of that big Wal-Mart outside Abilene would pretty much clean us out, if you count the parking lot.

“ Resident Evil “

“Resident Evil” is a zombie movie set in the 21st century and therefore reflects several advances over 20th century films. For example, in 20th century slasher movies, knife blades make a sharpening noise when being whisked through thin air. In the 21st century, large metallic objects make crashing noises just by being looked at.

“ Resident Evil: Apocalypse “

But zombies themselves are not interesting, because all they do is stagger and moan. As I observed in my review of the first film, “they walk with the lurching shuffle of a drunk trying to skate through urped Slushees to the men’s room.”

“ Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever “

There is nothing wrong with the title “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” that renaming it “Ballistic” would not have solved. Strange that they would choose such an ungainly title when, in fact, the movie is not about Ecks versus Sever but about Ecks and Sever working together against a common enemy — although Ecks, Sever and the audience take a long time to figure that out.

“ Battlefield Earth “

Hiring Travolta and Whitaker was a waste of money, since we can’t recognize them behind pounds of matted hair and gnarly makeup. Their costumes look like they were purchased from the Goodwill store on the planet Tatooine. Travolta can be charming, funny, touching and brave in his best roles; why disguise him as a smelly alien creep? The Psychlos can fly between galaxies, but look at their nails: Their civilization has mastered the hyperdrive but not the manicure.

“ Hellbound: Hellraiser II “

“Kirsty!” we hear. And “Tiffany!” And “Kirsty!!!” and “Tiffany!!!” And “Kirstiyyyyyyy!!!!!” And “Tiffanyyyyyyy!!!!!” I’m afraid this is another one of those movies that violates the First Rule of Repetition of Names, which states that when the same names are repeated in a movie more than four times a minute for more than three minutes in a row, the audience breaks out into sarcastic laughter, and some of the ruder members are likely to start shouting “Kirsty!” and “Tiffany!” at the screen.

“ The Village “

To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes. It’s a crummy secret, about one step up the ladder of narrative originality from It Was All a Dream. It’s so witless, in fact, that when we do discover the secret, we want to rewind the film so we don’t know the secret anymore.

Sex, romance, music, drama and other crap

“ The Scarlet Letter “

The film version imagines all of the events leading up to the adultery, photographed in the style of those “Playboy’s Fantasies” videos. It adds action: Indians, deadly fights, burning buildings, even the old trick where the condemned on the scaffold are saved by a violent interruption. And it converts the Rev. Dimmesdale from a scoundrel into a romantic and a weakling, perhaps because the times are not right for a movie about a fundamentalist hypocrite. It also gives us a red bird, which seems to represent the devil, and a shapely slave girl, who seems to represent the filmmakers’ desire to introduce voyeurism into the big sex scenes.

“ The Skulls “

“The Skulls” is one of the great howlers, a film that bears comparison, yes, with “ The Greek Tycoon ” or even “The Scarlet Letter.” It’s so ludicrous in so many different ways it achieves a kind of forlorn grandeur. It’s in a category by itself.

“ Flashdance “

“Flashdance” is like a movie that won a free 90-minute shopping spree in the Hollywood supermarket. The director ( Adrian Lynn , of the much better “ Foxes “) and his collaborators race crazily down the aisles, grabbing a piece of “ Saturday Night Fever ,” a slice of “Urban Cowboy,” a quart of “Marty” and a 2-pound box of “Archie Bunker’s Place.” The result is great sound and flashdance, signifying nothing.

“ The Green Berets “

There is an Irishman named Muldoon, a doubting journalist, a Negro, a little refugee kid with a pet dog, a hard-bitten veteran and the rest of the stock characters who fight every war for us. Everybody is there except the Jewish kid from the Bronx and the guy named Ole with a Swedish accent.

“ Taste of Cherry “

A case can be made for the movie, but it would involve transforming the experience of viewing the film (which is excruciatingly boring) into something more interesting, a fable about life and death. Just as a bad novel can be made into a good movie, so can a boring movie be made into a fascinating movie review.

“ Swing Kids “

The screenplay is so murky, indeed, that I was never sure whether the Kids hated the Hitler Youth lads because they were Nazis, or simply because they didn’t swing. At a time when civilization was crashing down around their ears and Hitler was planning the Holocaust, it doesn’t make them particularly noble that they’d rather listen to big bands than enlist in the military. Who wouldn’t?

“ Staying Alive “

Like the Rocky movies, “Staying Alive” ends with a big, visually explosive climax. It is so ludicrous it has to be seen to be believed. It’s opening night on Broadway: Tony Manero not only dances like a hero, he survives a production number of fire, ice, smoke, flashing lights and laser beams, throws in an improvised solo — and ends triumphantly by holding Finola Hughes above his head with one arm, like a quarry he has tracked and killed. The musical he is allegedly starring in is something called “Satan’s Alley,” but it’s so laughably gauche it should have been called “Springtime for Tony.” Stallone makes little effort to convince us we’re watching a real stage presentation; there are camera effects the audience could never see, montages that create impossible physical moves and — most inexplicable of all — a vocal track, even though nobody on stage is singing. It’s a mess. Travolta’s big dance number looks like a high-tech TV auto commercial that got sick to its stomach.

“ Easy Come, Easy Go “

Elvis looks about the same as he always has, with his chubby face, petulant scowl and absolutely characterless features. Here is one guy the wax museums will have no trouble getting right. He sings a lot, but I won’t go into that. What I will say, however is that after two dozen movies he should have learned to talk by now.

“ Betty Blue “

Typists will enjoy the typing scenes, in which she makes typing errors, causing her to throw away countless copies of Page 1, and then has the whole manuscript typed in no time. This is the way typing is thought about by people who always use yellow legal pads themselves.

“ The First Time “

There are other moments of incredible inaccuracy. They almost outnumber the moments of dreadful inactivity. For what seems like hours, the three heroes sightsee at Niagara Falls while a lousy pop group sings dreary, square songs. Our attention is finally reduced to the lowest common denominator: Will anyone ever, ever make it with Jackie?

“ Camille 2000 “

“Camille 2000” is shot in color. It is dubbed into English instead of subtitled. It is wide screen. It has a pretty girl in it. Her name is Daniele Gaubert . Whoever painted that big sign in front of the theater has an accurate critical sense. The sign says: “See Daniele Gaubert presented in the nude … and with great frequency.” That captures the essence of Metzger’s art.

“ The Blue Lagoon “

Let’s face it. Going into this film knowing what we’ve heard about it, we’re anticipating the scenes in which the two kids discover the joys of sex. This is a prurient motive on our part, and we’re maybe a little ashamed of it, but our shame turns to impatience as Kleiser intercuts countless shots of the birds and the bees (every third shot in this movie seems to be showing a parrot’s reaction to something).

“ Friends “

There are probably no 14- or 15-year-olds in the entire world like these two; they seem to have been created specifically for the entertainment of subscribers to Teenage Nudist. The archness of their “innocence” toward sex is, finally, just plain dirty. And the worst thing is that the movie seems to like it that way.

“ The Usual Suspects “

Once again, my comprehension began to slip, and finally I wrote down: “To the degree that I do understand, I don’t care.” It was, however, somewhat reassuring at the end of the movie to discover that I had, after all, understood everything I was intended to understand. It was just that there was less to understand than the movie at first suggests.

“ Beyond and Back “

The makers of “Beyond and Back” were also responsible, if memory serves, for another film called “In Search of Noah’s Ark.” It figures. At the end of that one they were still searching for Noah’s Ark — never found it. At the end of “Beyond and Back” we’re back, all right — but were we beyond?

“ Christopher Columbus: The Discovery “

Columbus encounters friendly Indians, of which one — the chief’s daughter — is positioned, bare-breasted, in the center of every composition. (I believe the chief’s daughter is chosen by cup size.) Columbus sails back to Europe and the story is over. Another Columbus movie is promised us this fall. It cannot be worse than this. I especially look forward to the chief’s daughter.

“ Body of Evidence “

What about the story here? It has to be seen to be believed — something I do not advise. There’s all kinds of murky plot debris involving nasal spray with cocaine in it, ghosts from the past, bizarre sex, and lots of nudity. We are asked to believe that Madonna lives on a luxury houseboat, where she parades in front of the windows naked at all hours, yet somehow doesn’t attract a crowd, not even of appreciative lobstermen.

“ Caligula “

“Caligula” is sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash. If it is not the worst film I have ever seen, that makes it all the more shameful: People with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty. Disgusted and unspeakably depressed, I walked out of the film after two hours of its 170-minute length.

“ Last Rites “

Many films are bad. Only a few declare themselves the work of people deficient in taste, judgment, reason, tact, morality and common sense. Was there no one connected with this project who read the screenplay, considered the story, evaluated the proposed film and vomited?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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[Bad Times at the El Royale] delivers from start to finish and will have you wanting more once it ends.

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