Hotel Artemis (2018)

Directed by: Drew Pearce | 93 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Day, Dave Bautista, Kenneth Choi, Father John Misty, Evan Jones, Nathan Davis Jr., Ramses Jimenez, Angela Sprinkle

Los Angeles, 2028. The city is marred by riots after the largest water company cuts its water supply. An ideal situation for robber Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown) to rob a bank with his crew. Naturally, the situation culminates in a confrontation with the police, after which Waikiki and his brother are forced to be admitted to ‘Hotel Artemis’: a hospital that focuses specifically on serious criminals and is run by Sister Jean Thomas (Jodie foster).

Other patients at Hotel Artemis include the seductive hit man “Nice” (Sofia Boutella, “Atomic Blonde”) and the narcissistic arms dealer “Acapulco” (Charlie Day, “Horrible Bosses”). Jean is assisted by Everest (Dave Bautista, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’), who has a reputation as a professional counselor, preventing them from cracking down on difficult customers. With the rioting population approaching, a cop who is admitted to hospital completely against the rules and the presence of an injured, life-threatening mafia boss (Jeff Goldblum), the situation in the hospital is running smoothly. hotel of course quickly out of control.

‘Hotel Artemis’ is a somewhat remarkable film. In his debut film, director Drew Pearce opts for a strange-tasting cocktail of drama, science fiction and action. It makes for an extremely entertaining film, which, on the other hand, is not very stable. For example, the trauma the protagonist is dealing with feels rather sought after and somewhat obligatory, and the technological gadgets are mainly nice side effects (think of a 3D printer as a murder weapon).

‘Hotel Artemis’ must therefore mainly rely on its wonderful cast. Jodie Foster plays a rather remarkable lead role, but is therefore very original in a film like this. Sterling K. Brown is one of the most interesting actors of the moment, particularly notable in series such as ‘This is Us’ and ‘The People vs. OJ Simpson’, but also in a movie like ‘Black Panther’. The interaction between him and Foster has been successful, although the development that his character goes through remains a bit on the flat side. Dave Bautista may not be the most subtle actor, but as always manages to make something entertaining out of his role. The Foster-Bautista duo may sound rather strange on paper, but in practice it turns out surprisingly good and almost touching. Jeff Goldblum is again very much Jeff Goldblum in this film, and you can really only embrace or abhor that.

The director’s ambivalence will probably not help to make ‘Hotel Artemis’ a success. The film leaves quite a few plot lines open and Pearce walks too many side paths to make ‘Hotel Artemis’ a really successful whole. As an action thriller ‘Hotel Artemis’ is definitely worth checking out, mainly because of the strong ensemble, some nice finds and the entertaining action scenes. Certainly not a high flyer, but still a special title that you can easily grab.