While there isn’t a whole lot in common between these two movies, what my experience with Hotel Artemis reminded me of the most was Ben Wheatley’s 2017 film, Free Fire. Both were billed as these scrappy, balls-to-the-wall action movies, but were actually something far more leisurely, more interesting, and more idiosyncratic. So, if you think Hotel Artemis is going to be like another John Wick riff, you should adjust your expectations.
For those who don’t know, the film is the directorial debut of writer/director, Drew Pearce, whose only claim to fame is his co-writing credit on Iron Man 3 (the best one, FYI, so it’s not nothing). It takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2028, and follows a collection of criminals, focusing mostly on Sterling K. Brown’s Waikiki, which is a codename given to him when he checked into a secret hospital for criminals called the “Hotel Artemis,” which is run by The Nurse (Jodie Foster), and her medical assistant/guard, Everest (Dave Bautista).
It does need to be emphasized that this isn’t so much an action movie as much as it is a hangout movie that slowly builds to a violent conclusion. It’s honestly kind of hard to really pin down what this movie is because it doesn’t neatly fit into any kind of box. It’s part pulpy thriller, part sci-fi, part crime drama, part neo-noir, and part black comedy. Aside from an opening sequence where Waikiki’s brother, Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry), gets shot by the police after a robbery gone wrong, the action is saved for the third act. Most of the film is spent with the various colorful characters, a number of them being riffs on action archetypes, at the hotel as we observe their individual motivations and how they ultimately clash. We get a lot of really fun banter, especially whenever it involves the sleazy, Acapulco (Charlie Day). And of course, once Jeff Goldblum shows up as The Wolf King, an LA crime lord who literally owns the building where Hotel Artemis operates, as well as most of this semi-dystopian Los Angeles according to some of the characters.
I don’t know if I can say that the movie ultimately adds up to much, but it’s such an effortlessly cool and engaging ride. The characters aren’t the most well developed, but it’s the kind of film where characters are easily defined and understood with just a few lines of dialogue and visual cues. For example, when the Wolf King shows up to get an injury fixed, he brings along a big posse, which includes his son, Crosby (Zachary Quinto). The Wolf King is allowed into the main facility while everyone else has to wait per the rules of the building, but before he is escorted away Crosby gives a heart-to-heart to his father about how even though he might not seem ready to take over the family business, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make his father happy. And that earnestness is immediately undercut by the Wolf King saying “that kind of bullshit is why you grew up to be so soft.” Not only is it a great, subversive gag, but it also informs everything we need to know about their relationship. It’s a lot of little moments like this that make up most of the film, and really carve out its own distinct identity. Especially considering you have another near-future, L.A. based sci-fi film playing in theaters right now with Upgrade.
It also helps that the casting here is spectacular. Because Pearce is knowingly playing around with archetypes, he brings in some talented people to really elevate the material, and make it feel natural in its own strange way. Sterling K. Brown is an incredibly charismatic screen presence, and it’s great to finally see him take the lead here. Plus, he works great with Brian Tyree Henry. Jodie Foster manages to bring in squeeze in some nuance into her character, who is a confident, fast-talker on the surface, but is hiding a rather haunting past. She has a cute mother-son-esque relationship with Dave Bautista’s character, who has a number of funny moments. Sofia Boutella is great as Nice, a fellow resident at the hospital with hidden motives, who also gets to perform the best action beat at the end. Jenny Slate shows up for a few minutes, in a small, but crucial role, and she’s pretty solid for playing a type we haven’t seen her do before. Zachary Quinto, Charlie Day, and Jeff Goldblum are in varying degrees of ham, but it all works for this weird world that Pearce has created. Though, I should warn that Goldblum is not in this as much as you might hope. Just so you know.
Is Hotel Artemis a great movie? Probably not. However, what I found during my experience watching it was that every time I thought it was going to go one way, it went somewhere else, and usually something more mundane, tame, or occasionally downright cruel. While I was initially resistant to that, I eventually was able to get on its weirdly specific wavelength, and have a really good time. There is an interesting thematic idea about learning to move on from things that are holding you back, which is woven throughout the movie, and it made for a quietly moving payoff in the climax. I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Hotel Artemis, but it sure wasn’t this, and I’m honestly really glad about that. It surely won’t be for everyone, but I found it to be a cool, mean, nasty, and bloody treat. I want to see what other weird ideas Drew Pearce has floating around in his head.