Even bad guys need health care.
Set in a near future L.A. where a water shortage has caused riots in the streets and social unrest, Hotel Artemis is a members only club for those who operate on the shady side of the law. Sterling K. Brown is Sherman, a career criminal who has come back for one last job but things go south in a hurry when his brother is injured in a heist gone wrong.
Seeking medical help Sherman heads over to Hotel Artemis so that The Nurse (Jodie Foster) can work her magic on his brother. Aside from being a haven for criminals, the hotel boasts the latest in tech with 3d printers replicating organs to keep the injured going. Its also heavily fortified designed to keep their members safe and those who don’t belong out.
Things get tense when L.A.’s top crime lord, the Wolf King comes in for treatment only to find himself for the target of an assassination. Further complicating matters is the arrival of a cop (Jenny Slate) who the Nurse has a history with and is someone she’s willing to break the rules for.
Boasting a solid cast that features the likes of Foster, Brown, Sophia Boutella, Zachary Quinto, Dave Bautista, Charlie Day and Jeff Goldblum, Hotel Artemis features a collection of unsavory characters who for the most part have a major axe to grind with each other.
Pierce’s script is tight and the movie never suffers from any narrative lags. The last act bristles with the promise of violence and the action scenes are brutal and we’ll choreographed. It doesn’t hurt the soundtrack is top notch as well.
Not an all out action in the vain of John Wick or Taken, Hotel Artemis is a study of the complicated world of crime and the regrets some of the participants hold while fulfilling their destiny. The film has some solid performances particularly from Foster, Brown and Bautista. There may be no honor among thieves but the code they follow does make for some interesting twists and turns.
Hotel Artemis is the type of film that at no point wows you but when it’s over you come away satisfied knowing you’ve been properly entertained.
