My husband and I checked out Hotel Artemis available from Hoopla after 2020 was winding down and we were looking for an antidote for overly saccharine holiday specials (love them, but..). The movie, set in a rioting Los Angles in the near future of 2028 (just 10 years after its 2018 release date) at Hotel Artemis, which is being used as an exclusive hospital for criminals, seemed a good choice.
Jody Foster stars as a jaded nurse with David Bautista as her assistant/bouncer. Both provide strong and enjoyable performances. Jodie Foster has always been one of my favorite actresses and it was interesting to see her in a noir cyberpunk action film. Bautista is able to give a bit more range here than his simple tough guy wrestling and Guardians of the Galaxy persona.
In the film, one evening takes a pivotal turn as they must deal with everyone from a French assassin to an injured cop. The Nurse is dealing with a loss in her past and events over the night make her question her role at Hotel Artemis. A variety of other characters also get minor story arcs and part of me wished that the film could have been a series or miniseries to see them all fleshed out a bit more. The film reminded me a bit of the gritty black comedy Delicatessen that I remember impressing me as a teen, though my threshold for violence has lessened overtime, I would recommend checking that out as well if you enjoy this bleak, but intriguing view of the future.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services
Hoboken Public Library Blog 