Why Bad Times At The El Royale Bombed At The Box Office

As noted previously, Bad Times at the El Royale fell just shy of making its $32 million production budget back — meaning that it didn't scratch the surface of turning a profit. One can chalk up much of this poor performance to lack of interest from the casual moviegoer and the film's niche story, pacing issues, etc. But, in fairness to it, Goddard's second directorial effort had to contend with a handful of heavy-hitters arriving at the box office around the same time as its premiere, diminishing its already slim chances of breaking even, let alone serious bank.

Before Bad Times at the El Royale's release, Sony's Venom starring Tom Hardy debuted on October 5, 2018. Given the viability of superhero media these days and the immense popularity of anything connected to Spider-Man, it's no surprise the film grossed over $856 million by the time it left the big screen. Not to mention, the Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga-led remake of A Star is Born arrived on the same day as Venom — taking in $436.2 million across its tenure. With powerhouses like that dominating the pop culture scene, Bad Times at the El Royale never stood a fighting chance in the financial department.

Is all of this to say that Bad Time at the El Royale is an objectively bad movie? Of course not, in fact, many have come to commend it. As of this writing, it holds an impressive 74 percent certified fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. On top of that, most critics hail it for its unique visual style, mysterious undertones, and the ensemble cast's solid performances. Sadly, in the modern cinematic landscape, it takes more than aesthetic artistry and convincing acting work to make a nice chunk of change, and Bad Times at the El Royale is a tragic example.