Drew Goddard ladies and gentlemen! Drew Goddard… From “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1996), to “Alias” (2001), to “Lost” (2004), to “Daredevil” (2015), Drew has contributed and made an impact on the TV series most of us grew up with and loved. But his talent is not restricted to TV. For the big screen, he wrote and produced “The Martian” (2015) and got his first Oscar nomination. Before that, and I deliberately left this one for the end, he wrote and directed “The Cabin in the Woods” (2012). An absolute experience – a separate review will follow soon! So, what’s so special about “El Royale”?

Directing, editing, cinematography, soundtrack, all work together confluently to bring the script’s crime, drama, and mystery to life. Dazzling and meticulous mise-en-scene accurately portraying the 60’s, rhythmically edited to a wonderful soundtrack, unfold harmonically numerous vantage points, intricate timelines, and diverse, complex characters who play an integral part to the puzzle’s missing pieces.

I’m not done yet. Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, John Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Offerman, and, last but not least, Chris Hemsworth shine on camera creating unfathomable chemistry between them. Given the chance, I would happily do the lamppost.

“El Royale” raises mysterious, fictional questions amalgamating with history, providing some answers, yet leaving you with different (and maybe more) questions. Shut your phones, pay attention to the details, and above all, get sucked into this beautiful cinematic experience!

You can find it here: https://amzn.to/2ZqdUzO