Hotel Artemis: Check Out Any Time You Want

Dave Bautista and Jodie Foster in HOTEL ARTEMIS. Photo credit: Matt Kennedy / Distributor: Global Road Entertainment.

A film that mixes different genres, Hotel Artemis is a film that depicts a bleak future in Los Angeles.

While 2028 doesn’t seem so long into the future, it appears to be very bleak for Los Angeles for a few days in June.  Thanks to the Clearwater Corporation shutting off water to the general public, the city is rioting in full force.  It’s been a full three days of rioting and the police are just about having their way with protesters.  Is clean water too much to ask for?  Apparently.

For Sherman Atkins (Sterling K. Brown, his brother Lev (Brian Tyree Henry), and their crew, a bank heist doesn’t go the way they intended so they improvise.  They make it out okay until they find themselves right in the middle of a fight with the cops.  It’s not pretty.  Sherman does the next best thing he can:  head straight to Hotel Artemis.  It’s a safe space for criminals needing medical attention.  Unfortunately, they have rules and unless you’re a member, you’re not getting past the security gate.  Buke (Kenneth Choi) isn’t having any of it about the rules.

Funded by The Wolf King (Jeff Goldblum), the penthouse level hospital is run a woman simply known as The Nurse (Jodie Foster) and her orderly, Everest (Dave Bautista).  The Nurse has been running the place ever since she first stepped foot into the Artemis some 22 years ago.  But tonight’s different.  Not only do the Atkins brothers need help, there’s a French assassin (Sofia Boutella), an arms dealer (Charlie Day), and The Wolf King himself is on the way!  The Nurse has rules and one of those rules is not to allow any cops.  When she sees an injured cop, Morgan Daniels (Jenny Slate), asking for help, something brews inside of her.

Drew Pearce wrote the film, which also serves as his feature directorial debut.  The British native offers up a city of Los Angeles that’s seen in a new light.  It’s dark and gritty at times, no doubt a thriller.  It may not be the dystopian future previously seen in Blade Runner but there’s something about this film and LA.

While Foster is in peak performance, it’s Bautista who brings a lot of fun to the role.  He’s not only an orderly but he’s also an enforcer.  If anything, it’s Everest that brings a lot of heart to the film.  If you break the rules, you better watch out!

Goldblum fans should prepare for disappointment.  The role is minimal at best.  There may be a line or two that’s actually funny but that’s about it.  The Wolf King’s interaction with his disappointment of a son, Crosby (Zachary Quinto), is a missed opportunity for the two talented actors.

Mixing layer upon layer in a fully-visioned future of Los Angeles, Hotel Artemis is enjoyable but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER:  Drew Pearce
CAST:  Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto,
with Charlie Day and Dave Bautista

Global Road Entertainment will release Hotel Artemis in theaters on June 8, 2018.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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