For a community that thrives on the adoration of abstract images and the odd stories they tend to tell, the cinephile community is filled with hypocrites, especially from those that normally take a more elitist point of view. One can’t go a day without hearing someone lament about how the modern film industry is over-run with remakes, reboots, sequels and tentpole blockbusters that form parts of an endless number of cinematic universes (I am definitely one of then, and I find the lack of originality quite troubling). Yet, when something truly original comes around, it is almost entirely dismissed and not given nearly the same amount of attention it deserves, because something original can only be acclaimed if there is a significant reputation surrounding it. It is for this precise reason that Hotel Artemis failed to receive much recognition, despite the fact that it is one of the most audacious films of the year, and entertaining action thriller with healthy doses of dystopian science fiction and John Carpenter-esque action sequences that are as delightfully violent as they are astonishingly beautiful. The fact that this film came and went without so much of a whimper is disappointing to say the least, because while it is highly flawed and far from being a masterpiece, it is a deliriously enjoyable piece of speculative fiction, with an original concept, a great cast and just enough audacity to execute it all. Hotel Artemis is a surprisingly great film, and considering how much it flew under the radar, I feel like it deserves a much higher viewership, because what it lacks in well-oiled finesse it makes up for in idiosyncratic charm and relentless passion to being a wonderfully unique subversion of traditional tropes. It isn’t particularly powerful cinema, but it certainly is as fun as it gets, and sometimes, that’s all that one expects from a film that promises to be deliriously devilish entertainment.

Hotel Artemis is set in the year 2028, on an evening when violent riots are breaking out across Los Angeles. A pair of career criminals (Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry) decide to use this tense atmosphere to rob a bank, which only results in them getting severely injured and in urgent need of medical assistance. However, they do find their salvation in their membership to the most elite resort in town, the titular Hotel Artemis, which acts as a safe haven and hospital for criminals in need of urgent medical care. It is run with an affectionately iron-fist by The Nurse (Jodie Foster), a medical professional who has made it her life’s mission to help the rule-breakers live to see another day. On that fateful evening, there are a few visitors to the hotel, including The Wolf King of Los Angeles (Jeff Goldblum), the most feared gang leader in the city, who owns half of it and terrorizes the other half. The establishment built on supporting some very bad people is on the verge of annihilation by the exact breed of people it claims to protect, and it is only a matter of time before this sanctuary becomes the most dangerous place of all, especially when it is discovered that our central duo accidentally stole something very valuable from the Wolf King, who has quite a sadistic method of punishing those who dare to steal from him. Violence, deception and the perpetual risk of life-altering danger – just another Wednesday, in the words of The Nurse.

Honestly, I feel like Hotel Artemis is a misunderstood gem, with the way someone views this film having an impact on how they feel about it. I feel that the lukewarm reaction the film received was merely the result of looking at Hotel Artemis as an attempt to introduce a new franchise, one that can rival those of the bigger blockbusters with significantly higher budgets and rabid fanbases. I never viewed Hotel Artemis as anything close to an attempt to be a popular, mainstream film. What Hotel Artemis should be seen as is something quite different: its a postmodern B-movie, a delightfully entertaining science fiction film that hearkens back to an era where these kinds of ensemble action films, with heightened violence, distinctive characters and single locations, were the joy of every low-budget film aficionado, who would gleefully consume any film, just as long as it was thrilling, action-packed and entertaining. Those were simpler times, and one that Hotel Artemis tries very hard to emulate.

Hotel Artemis is not a film that should be taken seriously at all, and if you look at it without noting its very sardonic sense of humour, you’re bound to be disappointed, because Hotel Artemis is nothing close to a straight-laced, populist action film. It is a frightening, excessive, darkly comical dystopian rampage that quite literally holds no punches, and devolves into a beautifully-hideous mess of excessive violence and unexpectedly endearing character development. A film like Hotel Artemis deserves to be given a chance, purely on the virtue that it is unlike anything being made today, because it doesn’t pacify the underlying malice lurking within its story, and it is not one that is afraid to alienate members of the audience who are searching for something a little more refined. Hotel Artemis is not a film for everyone, but also not one that warrants apathy or indifference – it is a highly-original, delightful action film with broad overtures of brilliance that just cannot be ignored.

One of the first signs that Hotel Artemis is a great film, and unlike many other films of its contemporary ilk, is in its cast. It has an effective ensemble, populated by a blend of veterans and established younger stars. Leading the film is the incomparable, peerless Jodie Foster, giving one of her first on-screen performances in years, playing the empathetic nurse and the true protagonist of this film. The cast as a whole is made up of a variety of actors who may not be the central focus, but are important constituents as a whole, and its Foster who ties everything together. Two of the finest breakthrough actors of the past few years, Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry, play brothers who we are lead to believe are more important to this story than they end up being. Regardless, both actors give terrific performances, as does Sofia Boutella as the seductive French assassin who claims to only kill important people – the fact that you and I are still alive is a bit disheartening considering this, right?

Dave Bautista continues to prove himself to be the most talented of the WWE exports, giving a tragically funny performance as the lumbering Everest, who will break your neck just as fast as he will bring up his position as “a healthcare professional”. Of course, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t mention Jeff Goldblum, the internet’s proverbial love interest, and a brilliant performer having the most glorious revival I have yet to see. Playing the main antagonist, Goldblum is undeniably excellent, and gives a sinister, menacing performance that was quite unexpected from a man who has built his reputation out of playing quirky, lovable goofballs with a bundle of tics and an undeniable allure that I think many of us feel, even if it is just because of his inextricable charisma. However, I could talk about Jeff Goldblum all day (that’s not an exaggeration, I really could talk about him all day), but he is only one of the many performers who make Hotel Artemis such a very special film, making this an extraordinarily potent film in terms of the committed performances from the cast, which elevates the often-paltry material.

However, I do understand why some may feel ambivalent towards this film, and I can see where the film loses its way. Hotel Artemis has two very difficult elements to find in an action film – an original concept and a brilliant cast, but its shortcoming is in not knowing exactly what to do with either. This is a film filled with colourful, interesting characters, and the performers behind them are admirably dedicated to portraying them – yet the film doesn’t give many of them, with the exception of The Nurse, much attention, so we don’t actually learn too much about them, their backgrounds or motivations, which makes for a suitably mysterious environment that bears passing similarity to film noir. However, there are so many characters, we just can’t get under the skin and develop meaningful connections to them, which does affect the viewing experience, because being bombarded by this panoply of characters that are clearly interesting, but without knowing why changes our enjoyment of the film partly.

Moreover, in terms of the story, director Drew Pearce is clearly adept at world-building, and he has a concept here that is wonderfully original, yet he doesn’t explore it deeply enough, and there isn’t enough background giving to contextualize this place and make it as compelling as it could’ve been. With an entirely original concept, there is a risk that the audience needs to adapt to the story and understand its nuances, as there is obviously a substantial lack of foreknowledge they can have about this particular universe. However, as effective as the film is, it sometimes forces the more interesting nuances of the story fall to the wayside, which is unfortunate but not unforgivable. I am vehemently against pandering sequels and spin-offs, but Hotel Artemis would definitely benefit from further exploration, and I would not mind returning to the titular locations in the future – the concept is there, and considering the simple but effective nature of the story, it would certainly allow for a range of potential storylines.

Hotel Artemis is a very good film, and its flaws can’t be held against it, because this is the remedy for the glut of excessive tentpole films – it is a vivacious, solitary response to the cinematic universes and sequels that are regularly churned out. It is rough around the edges and has many imperfections, but it also has its charms and more heart than most of the popular films that audiences tend to choose over audacious films like Hotel Artemis. This film is really misunderstood, and I feel like it will gain a higher viewership as a cult film, because while its faults are undeniable, they can be dismissed for the sake of the thrilling, darkly comical brilliance brought to life with Hotel Artemis, a film that goes far deeper than many would expect, featuring heavy overtures of the likes of Terry Gilliam and George Orwell in its dystopian approach to the future, as well as John Carpenter in its action sequences, that are sporadic but oddly beautiful. It is the rare film that manages to be action-packed, but still character-driven, with an endearing cast of rogues, all of which are operating at peak performance. Hotel Artemis may not be a great film, but it certainly is a very entertaining one and one that deserves a lot more credit than it has been given since its release. An unhinged, entertaining, adrenaline-packed action film that entertains more than anything else and that is certainly very admirable and makes this one of the year’s most underappreciated films.