Rather than update my old review, I wanted to make a point that I came back around to The Royal Hotel after Hulu addded audio description. Originally, they dropped this film a few months back, and it did not have audio description. since then, Neon has become a little more aware of their content heading to Hulu, and rectified the lack of accessibility. So, it is no longer “unwatchable”.\
It very much is a wild experience watching a film I’ve never visually seen without audio description, and now doing it again. there were so many things I was unable to pick up on, things that really helped ratchet the tension. initially, I wasn’t sure why this film was being called a thriller/horror, but when you add the complexities, you really see the dangers the girls face staying out in the middle of nowhere. They have to stick together, and from seeing big ass snakes, to physically stopping a man from driving off with one of them, this is a survival thriller that truly has no purpose without audio description. I’m surprised at how much I missed.
That being said, I’m not going to send it through the roof here either. Julia Garner is a tremendous actress, but most of the men standing around these girls are just stereotypical one-dimensional creeps. It might give a few girls some pause before they trek into the middle of nowhere, but there are other movies that do the same thing. still, it is much improved and worth mentioning with audio description. it is only fair that I take time to acknowledge the grade change.
New Grade: B-
