A brilliant hidden gem crime thriller movie is airing on TV tonight

Released just over five years ago, we're still confused as to why this wasn't a bigger hit.

Set in 1969, the film centres around a group of strangers who find themselves staying at the El Royale, a once popular but now basically deserted hotel along the California-Nevada border.

These include what appear to be a Catholic priest (Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges), a soul singer (Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo), a travelling salesman (Mad Men’s Jon Hamm), two hippie sisters (Cailee Spaeny and Dakota Johnson) and the hotel’s sole desk clerk (Lewis Pullman).

It soon becomes clear, however, that each of these people has a dark past and that there is more to some than meets the eye.

Over the course of one fateful night at the hotel, secrets are revealed which kickstart a chain of events that causes the characters to intersect with each other in dark and surprising ways.

Also featuring Chris Hemsworth in a major role, Bad Times at the El Royale's ensemble cast, its twisty time shuffling screenplay, its beautiful period decor and its highly stylised direction make it a must-watch for fans of Quentin Tarantino's work.

That said, while it earned solid reviews – it currently holds a 75% Rotten Tomatoes score – it was not a box-office hit, the reasons for which we explored in this article published on the movie's fifth anniversary.

Released around the same time as the blockbusters A Star is Born, Halloween (2018) and Venom – all based on previous IP - this perhaps made it difficult for the more original El Royale to breakthrough to audiences.

If you’re curious to check out the crime thriller, it is airing tonight on Film4 at 11.15 pm. It is also available to stream on Disney+.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Uncharted - Film4 - 9 pm

Action adventure, starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas.

Lone survivor - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Four American soldiers are sent on a mission into the mountains of Afghanistan to track down and eliminate a high-ranking terrorist leader.

The Wolf of Wall Street - TG4 - 9:30 pm

Martin Scorsese's fact-based drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio as New York stockbroker who rises from unemployment to become one of the richest men in the city's financial elite.

Ghostbusters II - BBC Three - 10 pm

Sequel to the supernatural comedy, starring Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson.