In 1969, the "El Royale" is a motel that's seen better days, right on the border between California and Nevada (it has rooms in each state). It's recently lost its gambling license and now has only one employee (played by Lewis Pullman). Several people, each with a secret, check in for a night that's less quiet than they might have hoped. Jeff Daniels is the probably-not-a-priest, Cynthia Erivo a singer fallen on hard times, Dakota Johnson and Cailee Spaeny a pair of sisters at odds.

Wikipedia describes the movie as a "neo-noir thriller," and it's both dark and violent. I wasn't entirely sold on the cult-leader twist that came in past the half-way mark, but overall it's a surprisingly entertaining film as people try to survive their miserable night. It was more violent than I like these days, but I still found it surprisingly enjoyable.