In a series of jump-cut shots all from the same camera position we see the man move all the furniture to one end of the room, roll up the carpet, pull up the floorboards, leave the duffel bag under the floor, put the room back together again, and wait. A man in a trenchcoat with a bloodied arm enters, carrying duffel bags.
A shot of a room in a relatively upscale motor hotel. The movie opens with a teasing set piece that’s well executed and promising. His new picture, the second feature he’s both written and directed, is called “Bad Times at the El Royale,” and it’s an unfortunately apt demonstration of what can befall a clever filmmaker who gets too clever. Drew Goddard, who wrote the screenplays for “ Cloverfield” and “ The Martian” and wrote and directed “ The Cabin in the Woods,” is a very clever filmmaker.
