“Hotel Artemis” is a strange animal. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the film doesn’t do enough to stand out either. It depicts a futuristic Los Angeles in which riots and chaos have overtaken the city as the citizens fight over water. In the middle of the city stands Hotel Artemis, a sort of hospital for criminals. Taking a page out of the “John Wick” franchise, Hotel Artemis has a set of underground rules: no cops, no weapons, no killing other guests, etc.
The film drops us in the middle of this world and follows the story of a single night in the life of Jodie Foster’s character, who we know only as The Nurse.
She takes in a few patients, one of which is the crime boss of the city (played by Jeff Goldblum). One thing leads to another and we end up with a typical “things go wrong” plot.
Although a fairly standard film, “Hotel Artemis” is held up by a strong cast with solid performances. Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella and Goldblum do their best, but just don’t have enough to work with.
I think the concept is good, and the world-building has potential; there just isn’t enough to make “Hotel Artemis” memorable.