Still, from the trailers, industry press, and a few interviews the cast and director have given, we can pull together a clearer picture of the movie than the “Well, Hemsworth is a cult leader who doesn’t understand how shirt buttons work and Dakota Johnson is Southern for some reason” you may be currently working with. It’s a mystery thriller, after all, and such matters are wrapped up in the plot. Of course, what those dark secrets are, and what exactly happens on that fateful night when they all end up at the El Royale, still isn’t entirely clear. Two trailers, one just released today, also add the fact that there is secret surveillance (guests can be watched in the room, presumably through two-way mirrors, from secret passageways). Well, the log line is essentially that it’s about seven strangers in the 1960s, all with some sort of a dark secret in their past, who wind up at the same chintzy motel whose main attraction is that it straddles the state line of Nevada and California.

Which begs the question: What exactly is it about? Still, thanks to a stellar cast packed with stars, stylish trailers, and a crucial amount of mystery surrounding the project, El Royale may end up being one of the most buzzed-about movies of the fall, and not just because Chris Hemsworth’s abs have taken center stage in the marketing.

Though awards season dynamics are yet to take their final shape, the film’s success doesn’t hinge on Oscar buzz.

Its director, though accomplished as a screenwriter, isn’t an acclaimed hotshot just yet. Bad Times at the El Royale isn’t based on existing property, nor is it part of a mega-franchise.

Bad times at el royale casino yelp