If you loved
Bad Times at the El Royale
Drew Goddard · Film · 2018
What hooked you in Bad Times at the El Royale was the way hidden secrets and moral ambiguity turn isolated settings into ticking time bombs.
Books on the same thread
Joyland (Hard Case Crime)
Stephen King · Book · 2013
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Redemption.
Like the residents of the El Royale, the protagonist of this story finds his life irrevocably altered by the dark, lingering secrets hidden within an isolated, nostalgic recreational setting.
The Dark Hours
Michael Connelly · Book · 2021
Explores: systemic corruption, justice vs law, police procedural partnership.
This gritty procedural mirrors the desperate search for justice amidst systemic corruption found in Bad Times at the El Royale, forcing unlikely partners to confront their own fractured moral compasses.
Everything's Eventual
Stephen King · Book · 2007
Explores: Paranormal Investigation, Obsession, Existential Dread.
These stories capture the same claustrophobic tension as Bad Times at the El Royale, where a single hotel room or setting becomes a trap for characters confronting their deepest obsessions.
The Glass Hotel
Emily St. John Mandel · Book · 2020
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: moral ambiguity.
Much like the interconnected lives at the El Royale, this narrative weaves together disparate events and characters, exploring how greed and moral ambiguity inevitably lead to a shared, devastating outcome.
Series on the same thread
Evil
Michelle King · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Moral Ambiguity.
The investigative intensity and focus on moral ambiguity found here echo the atmosphere of Bad Times at the El Royale, challenging your perception of truth through a lens of psychological complexity.
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Shares 2 threads with Bad Times at the El Royale: Moral Ambiguity, Neo-Noir.
This series shares the dark, existential dread of Bad Times at the El Royale, utilizing multiple timelines to peel back the layers of secrets that define its deeply flawed, complex characters.
The Crowded Room
Akiva Goldsman · Series · 2023
Explores: Mental Illness, Memory and Trauma, Identity.
The way this story unravels a shocking crime through the lens of identity and memory mirrors the structural mystery and hidden secrets that drive the plot of Bad Times at the El Royale.
High Potential
Drew Goddard · Series · 2024
Explores: Unlikely Partnerships, Brilliant Outsider, Single Parent.
Directed by the same creator as Bad Times at the El Royale, this series captures the compelling dynamic of unlikely partners navigating a high-stakes mystery through unconventional, brilliant observations.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
If the small-town isolation and eccentric, hidden secrets of Bad Times at the El Royale fascinated you, this investigation into a man’s obsession will keep you equally hooked on the mystery.
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: moral ambiguity.
This podcast explores the same moral ambiguity found in Bad Times at the El Royale, focusing on the people caught in the middle of complex situations where justice is rarely straightforward.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Bad Times at the El Royale set in a specific time period?
Bad Times at the El Royale is set in 1969. The story takes place at a decadent motel located in Lake Tahoe, where seven strangers with secrets to bury meet during a single fateful night.
What is the premise of Bad Times at the El Royale?
Bad Times at the El Royale follows seven strangers who arrive at a motel with a dark past. Each character possesses a secret, and they all attempt to find a final opportunity for redemption during the course of one night.
Where does the story in Bad Times at the El Royale take place?
The events of Bad Times at the El Royale occur at the El Royale, a decadent motel located in Lake Tahoe. The setting serves as the backdrop for seven strangers to confront their secrets over the course of one night.
How many main characters are featured in Bad Times at the El Royale?
Bad Times at the El Royale features seven strangers who cross paths at a motel. Each of these individuals carries a secret to bury and is seeking a final chance at redemption during the events of the movie.