Hotel Artemis

Lore & Background

The plot begins on June 21, 2028, during a riot over water privatization in Los Angeles. Professional criminal Sherman attempts a bank robbery, leaving his brother Lev critically wounded. They escape to the Hotel Artemis, an underground hospital for criminals run by Jean 'The Nurse' Thomas, who has been confined there for 22 years due to agoraphobia and grief over her son's death. The hospital operates under strict rules: no weapons, no non-members, and no killing of other guests. Sherman and Lev are admitted, and Lev undergoes advanced treatment including robot-assisted surgery and 3D printed organs. Other guests include an arms dealer named Acapulco and an assassin named Nice. The crime lord Orian 'The Wolf King' Franklin, who owns the hotel, arrives wounded, and Thomas discovers he was responsible for her son's death. The film culminates in a violent confrontation, with Thomas, Sherman, and Nice escaping as rioters storm the streets.

Reader's Guide

Hotel Artemis received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its visual style, intriguing screenplay, and acting—particularly Jodie Foster's performance—but found the execution poor. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 57% approval rating based on 180 reviews, with the critical consensus calling it 'a serviceable chunk of slightly futuristic violence.' On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a grade of C−. The film was a box office bomb, grossing $13 million worldwide against a $15 million budget. It opened to $3.2 million in its first weekend, finishing eighth, and experienced a 69% drop in its second weekend. Despite its commercial failure, Foster's performance was widely highlighted as Oscar-worthy by some critics, with praise for her portrayal of a character balancing dry humor, anxiety, and deep sadness. The film's legacy lies in its cult appeal as a stylish, character-driven cyberpunk thriller with a strong ensemble cast.

Did You Know?

• The film was Drew Pearce's feature film directorial debut.
• Filming took place in downtown Los Angeles over 33 days starting in May 2017.
• The character posters for promotion each paid homage to a famous literary or film reference from Los Angeles, such as Sterling K. Brown merged into the book cover for Raymond Chandler's novel The Long Goodbye.
• In a mid-credits scene, a shadowy figure runs across the screen, suggesting the character Nice may have survived.