What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBad Times at the El Royale
Drew Goddard · Film · 2018
If you loved Bad Times at the El Royale, start with Evil (Michelle King, 2019) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Bad Times at the El Royale across media.
If you loved the intersection of fractured secrets and moral ambiguity in Bad Times at the El Royale, these stories will captivate you.
Books on the same thread
Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens · Book · 2018
Explores: Isolation, Social ostracization, Survivalism.
Like Bad Times at the El Royale, this mystery uses a specific 1969 setting to explore how isolation and hidden pasts dictate the survival of individuals facing intense scrutiny.
The Late Show
Michael Connelly · Book · 2017
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Redemption.
You will appreciate the shared focus on redemption found in Bad Times at the El Royale, as this gritty procedural centers on a detective navigating her own internal struggle.
Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie · Book · 1992
Explores: Murder Mystery, Jealousy, Betrayal.
This classic whodunit mirrors the claustrophobic tension of Bad Times at the El Royale, where a confined group of strangers hides dangerous secrets under a veneer of polite society.
The Black Dahlia
James Ellroy · Book · 2014
Explores: Obsession, Police Corruption, Murder Investigation.
The dark obsession and moral decay present in Bad Times at the El Royale are mirrored here, capturing a similar atmosphere of systemic corruption within a mid-century urban setting.
Series on the same thread
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Shares 2 threads with Bad Times at the El Royale: Moral Ambiguity, Neo-Noir.
This series captures the same heavy atmosphere of moral ambiguity found in Bad Times at the El Royale, using nonlinear storytelling to unearth the dark secrets of its protagonists.
Evil
Michelle King · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Moral Ambiguity.
Much like the shifting character motives in Bad Times at the El Royale, this show explores the blurred lines between good and evil through a lens of psychological mystery.
Luther
Neil Cross · Series · 2010
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Moral Ambiguity.
If you enjoyed the self-destructive characters in Bad Times at the El Royale, you will find a kindred spirit in this detective who struggles with his own violent demons.
Babylon Berlin
Tom Tykwer · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Bad Times at the El Royale: Neo-Noir.
The decadence and political intrigue that define the setting of Bad Times at the El Royale are echoed in this exploration of a city hiding sin beneath surface glamour.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Deca Tapes
Lex Noteboom · Podcast · 2025
Explores: social isolation, paranoia, confinement.
This podcast mirrors the locked-room tension of Bad Times at the El Royale, focusing on how forced proximity and deep-seated paranoia unravel the secrets of ten trapped individuals.
nagle, ostatniej nocy.
Podcast
Explores: Celebrity scandals, Crime stories, Hollywood secrets.
This deep dive into Hollywood history provides the same fascination with celebrity scandals and dark secrets that fueled the mysterious, high-stakes atmosphere of Bad Times at the El Royale.
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 hidden secrets converge for a fateful night.
What is the premise of Bad Times at the El Royale?
Bad Times at the El Royale follows seven strangers who meet at a motel with a dark past. Each individual carries a secret to bury, and the narrative centers on their final opportunity for redemption during the course of a single night.
Who directed Bad Times at the El Royale?
Bad Times at the El Royale was written and directed by Drew Goddard. The film was released in 2018 and focuses on the intersecting lives of seven mysterious characters at a Lake Tahoe motel.
Does Bad Times at the El Royale take place in one location?
Bad Times at the El Royale centers on the El Royale, a decadent motel in Lake Tahoe. The entire plot unfolds over the course of a single night as seven strangers with secrets meet at this specific location.