El Royale is overlong but it’s gripping and incredibly watchable

THIS is one seriously cool film.

Think Pulp Fiction, think Hotel Artemis, think Baby Driver, all wrapped up in a Tamla Motown bow with some of the finest actors in town having what looks like a right old time making it.

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Seven strangers, all with a different secret, check in.

We have Jon Hamm as a vacuum salesman, Jeff Bridges as a man of the cloth, Cynthia Erivo as a wannabe Supreme and so on.

What they don’t know is, whilst they all have a shot a redeeming themselves against their secrets, they’re doing it in the equivalent of a nervy Big Brother style house.

As it all kicks of we’re spilt into a chapter per character and get bloody murder, deception, secret identities and vengeful lunatics all helmed by director Drew Goddard who weaves it all together in a kind of Back to the Future/Pulp Fiction type flashbacks and split timelines.

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I could listen to Jeff Bridges read a cereal packet and despite playing the same role again, he’s a delight.

The slightly sparse script allows others to play around more than they’d usually be allowed (Dakota Johnson now thankfully free of the execrable ’50 Shades’ franchise and Jon Hamm continuing his foray into a decent comedy character actor).

Slightly overlong, granted - but El Royale was incredibly watchable.

I was gripped throughout and had a bloody great time.

Bad Times at the El Royale 141mins (15)

★★★★☆