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Hotel Artemis is written by and is also the directing debut from Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3). The film stars Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Jenny Slate (Gifted), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy). "Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, 'Hotel Artemis' follows the Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only emergency room for criminals". After a 90 minute stay at Hotel Artemis, will I be leaving a good review on Trip Advisor?

The marketing team for Hotel Artemis should be reprimanded for doing such a bad job advertising this movie. The trailer for this film has played before most of the films I have seen recently and failed to make me feel inclined to see Hotel Artemis. Things fell into place and an impromptu trip to see Hotel Artemis was planned. I'm actually glad I watched this film. Despite its flaws, especially in the script, Hotel Artemis is a fun, fast-paced and stylish yet forgettable film. There's no reason why anyone should rush out to see Hotel Artemis, but if you have seen everything else playing, it may be worth a watch. 

Drew Pearce has assembled a cast of B-listers for this film. The cast members are either fading actors, rising stars or nonstarters (I'm sadly looking at you Sofia Boutella). No matter how much experience and success each actor has had, they all deliver relatively strong performances. Jodie Foster leads the cast with a sympathetic and vulnerable but also tough and stern performance. It takes a talented actor to combine such contrasting qualities into one character and Jodie Foster is just that. Sofia Boutella was probably my favourite; it's unfortunate audiences do not care about her. Boutella has starred in The Mummy, Kingsman, Atomic Blonde and Star Trek Beyond but has failed to garner audience interest. Admittedly, Boutella gives the same performance each time in a different costume and make-up, but she is good at it. Boutella has a great kick-ass sequence in the film's final act; she is possibly Hollywood's most overlooked action star. Despite giving mostly solid performances, the cast suffers because nobody is showcasing anything different. Dave Bautista plays a toned down version of Drax, Jeff Goldblum plays, well, Jeff Goldblum and Sterling K. Brown's performance is far from memorable. Hotel Artemis almost felt like a place struggling actors check in to. Pearce has given them all an opportunity to shine and while they do (to an extent), the worldwide general public has collectively only invested $8 million into this hotel. 

He may have more experience writing but with Hotel Artemis, Pearce is a better director than he is a writer. As this is a directorial debut, it may have been difficult for Pearce to put equal amounts of attention into the script and directing. Drew Pearce has directed a visually creative film. Pearce's Hotel Artemis is stylish, funky and aesthetically innovative. From the futuristic technology to the third act action, Drew Pearce clearly understands how to create a visually impressive film. This is promising for Pearce's directing future. 

However, Pearce does not pay enough attention to his screenplay. This results in a muddled story that lacks development, direction and structure. Pearce deserves credit for introducing and setting up an original idea. I really liked the idea behind Hotel Artemis and that was probably why I enjoyed watching the film despite not knowing where it was going. If only Hotel Artemis found an audience and Pearce (or another writer) was able to revisit the concept and generate a better story to tell. There are too many one-dimensional characters; The Nurse (Foster) is the only somewhat developed character - she has anxiety issues because of her dead son. Pearce makes an effort to link all of the other guests but it never quite works. It's unfortunate that the film's most fleshed out character is not even the most intriguing one - I wanted more of Sofia Boutella's Nice; what was her relationship with Waikiki (Brown)? Who was she working for? Pearce should have picked one character's perspective to tell this story from instead of trying to juggle six. 

It would be unfair to say that Hotel Artemis doesn't have its twists and turns. That being said, those twists and turns come out of nowhere. Pearce's film does not earn the shock that the twists intend to create. It is revealed how The Nurse's son dies, who Nice's target is and that Waikiki has a stolen item in his possession. These twists are barely explained. The film also makes a big deal out of Morgan (Slate) being a police officer and how this breaks the hotel's rules - this does not have any consequences. It is like Pearce had so many ideas and crammed them into a relatively short film and therefore does not get to fully execute any of them. Too many characters, too many sub-plots and a narrative without a story. 

Hotel Artemis is flawed. Flaws that would be hard to forgive in a generic, dull film. Thankfully, Pearce creates a visually ambitious film with a great, original concept that distracts from the lack of plot and character development. There are too many characters and some of these actors could have probably checked out. Boutella impresses with a sultry and kick-ass performance. Foster gets the meatiest role and delivers a strong performance. While I enjoyed the film, this version of Hotel Artemis probably shouldn't have been released. If Pearce didn't have so much on his mind, this film could have been a John Wick-esque franchise starter. Sadly, Pearce tried to have his cake and eat it too. Just like the riot-ridden LA the film depicts, Hotel Artemis is crowded but full of energy and style. 

62

/100

What did you think of HOTEL ARTEMIS? Drew Pearce the writer? or Drew Pearce the director? - COMMENT BELOW