Hotel Artemis

Check yourself into Hotel Artemis for one of the best underground movies of the year. Its dismal showing in the US hopefully won’t stop it from being a sleeper hit on these shores. Boasting an almighty cast it’s a stunningly realised Directorial debut from Drew Pearce. The titular hotel is a mythic institution in LA twenty years in the future which acts as a safe haven for the state’s criminals. The city’s in the midst of a riot with protesters rebelling against the privatisation of water (cursory mentions of the ‘border wall’ put this as another film this year firing a shot across the bow of the US’ current administration.) The ‘Wolfking’, self-proclaimed owner of LA and actual owner of the hotel needs to check in. Inside, an assortment of criminals have reason to await his arrival. What ensues is a Reservoir Dogs-esque ticking time bomb of steadily escalating violence. It doesn’t quite twist and turn as much as its early moments suggest and its orchestral ending isn't earned across its pretty short run time with the character development feeling a tad unearned but it’s stylish, tight and precise. The singular location and code names buy the audience in quickly and it feels truly lived in. This feeling is helped immensely by the fantastic Jodie Foster; as aged as the hotel itself she anchors the entire film and stands out even in such esteemed company as Jeff Goldblum, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Day, Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista and the increasingly prolific and high profile Sofia Boutella adding another action string to her bulging bow here. Shout out too to Josh Tillman, better known as Father John Misty, who has a cheeky early cameo and contributes a new song to the closing credits. A truly original piece and a film that deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting. 4 stars ****