Hotel Artemis
On June 21, 2028, a riot breaks out in Los Angeles over the affordability and availability of water after it is privatized. Taking advantage of the distraction, a four-man crew of brothers Sherman and Lev and miscreants Buke and P-22 rob a bank. Unable to break into the vault, they steal from hostages at the bank, realizing that they were mainly staff of the wealthy sent to deposit valuables into the vault. Lev takes a male hostage's fancy pen despite being warned by the man not to. During their escape, an encounter with the police leaves P-22 dead and Buke and Lev critically wounded. They make their way to the nearby Hotel Artemis, a hotel/hospital that only treats criminals, run by Jean "the Nurse" Thomas. The Hotel only treats members who are paid-up in advance, so Sherman and Lev are allowed in while Buke as a non-member is kicked out by Everest, the Nurse's assistant. At the Hotel are two other guests. Code names for all guests are assigned based on the suite they are occupying. Sherman is code-named Waikiki, and Lev is code-named Honolulu. The other guests are code-named Acapulco, and Nice. The Nurse gets word from criminal Crosby Franklin that his father Orian "The Wolf King" Franklin, is en route and in need of immediate medical attention. Meanwhile, Waikiki catches up with Nice, who has moved on to work internationally while Waikiki has remained Stateside. When he reveals the pen his brother stole during the robbery, Nice explains that the pen is a mobile safe, and unlocks it to show it contains precious diamonds, saying they belong to the Wolf King, and reminding Waikiki that the Wolf King kills anybody who steals from him. To make matters worse, a wounded police officer named Morgan arrives outside begging for medical attention from Thomas..
The film disappointed at the box office against its respectable budget of $15.0M, earning $12.4M globally (-18% loss).
1 win & 1 nomination
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Hotel Artemis (2018) reveals carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Drew Pearce's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 34 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
The Nurse
Waikiki
Nice
Everest
The Wolf King
Honolulu
Acapulco
Main Cast & Characters
The Nurse
Played by Jodie Foster
A reclusive doctor running a secret hospital for criminals, haunted by her past and struggling with agoraphobia.
Waikiki
Played by Sterling K. Brown
A skilled bank robber with a moral code who seeks help at the Artemis after a heist goes wrong.
Nice
Played by Sofia Boutella
An assassin with a mysterious agenda who arrives at the Artemis on the same chaotic night.
Everest
Played by Dave Bautista
The Nurse's loyal orderly and enforcer who protects the hotel and its strict rules.
The Wolf King
Played by Jeff Goldblum
A powerful crime lord who controls Los Angeles and arrives at the Artemis seeking treatment.
Honolulu
Played by Brian Tyree Henry
Waikiki's younger brother and partner in crime, seriously injured during their heist.
Acapulco
Played by Charlie Day
A volatile arms dealer with a short temper who creates chaos at the Artemis.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Nurse (Jean Thomas) runs her secret underground hospital for criminals in riot-torn LA, living by strict rules that keep her safe but isolated from the outside world.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Waikiki reveals they accidentally stole a pen filled with diamonds belonging to the Wolf King, LA's most powerful crime lord who owns the Hotel Artemis, putting everyone in danger.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The Nurse chooses to let the Wolf King into the hotel despite it being at capacity, breaking her own rules and committing to navigate the dangerous convergence of criminals under her roof., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Acapulco is revealed to be working for the Wolf King's son to assassinate his father. The stakes crystallize: this is a coup, and the Nurse is trapped in the middle of a crime family war with riots raging outside., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Everest is shot protecting the Nurse from Acapulco. The Nurse's only friend and anchor to stability dies in her arms—a direct echo of losing her son, forcing her to confront her deepest trauma and failure., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The Nurse chooses to leave the hotel for the first time in over two decades, stepping into the riot-torn streets to help Waikiki escape, synthesizing her medical skills with newfound courage to face the outside world., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Hotel Artemis's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Hotel Artemis against these established plot points, we can identify how Drew Pearce utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Hotel Artemis within the action genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Nurse (Jean Thomas) runs her secret underground hospital for criminals in riot-torn LA, living by strict rules that keep her safe but isolated from the outside world.
Theme
Everest tells the Nurse, "You can't save everyone," foreshadowing her struggle between following rules and confronting her traumatic past.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Hotel Artemis' rules, the Nurse's agoraphobia and OCD, her relationship with orderly Everest, and the chaotic riot happening outside. Patients Waikiki (bank robber) and his brother Honolulu arrive with critical injuries.
Disruption
Waikiki reveals they accidentally stole a pen filled with diamonds belonging to the Wolf King, LA's most powerful crime lord who owns the Hotel Artemis, putting everyone in danger.
Resistance
More dangerous guests arrive: Nice (arms dealer) and Acapulco (assassin). The Nurse debates breaking her rules as tensions escalate. She learns the Wolf King himself is coming to the hotel after being injured.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The Nurse chooses to let the Wolf King into the hotel despite it being at capacity, breaking her own rules and committing to navigate the dangerous convergence of criminals under her roof.
Mirror World
The Wolf King arrives and we learn of his deep history with the Nurse—he was her son's friend, representing both her buried past and the outside world she's been hiding from for 22 years.
Premise
The "criminal hospital under siege" premise plays out: medical crises, interpersonal conflicts between patients, revelations about the stolen diamonds, and the Nurse's PTSD flashbacks revealing her son died in a riot. The hotel becomes a pressure cooker.
Midpoint
Acapulco is revealed to be working for the Wolf King's son to assassinate his father. The stakes crystallize: this is a coup, and the Nurse is trapped in the middle of a crime family war with riots raging outside.
Opposition
Violence erupts inside the hotel. Honolulu dies from his injuries. Acapulco makes her move. The Nurse's careful control disintegrates as her rules prove insufficient. The Wolf King's men prepare to breach the hotel, and rioters try to break in.
Collapse
Everest is shot protecting the Nurse from Acapulco. The Nurse's only friend and anchor to stability dies in her arms—a direct echo of losing her son, forcing her to confront her deepest trauma and failure.
Crisis
The Nurse cradles Everest's body, devastated. She faces the choice that has paralyzed her for 22 years: stay hidden in her rules and rituals, or step outside and actively fight for what matters.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The Nurse chooses to leave the hotel for the first time in over two decades, stepping into the riot-torn streets to help Waikiki escape, synthesizing her medical skills with newfound courage to face the outside world.
Synthesis
The Nurse confronts the Wolf King's son, saves Waikiki, and navigates the dangerous streets. She uses her knowledge and resources to outmaneuver threats, no longer hiding behind rules but actively choosing who to save and why.
Transformation
The Nurse stands outside in the dawn light, having lost everything but gained herself. She has left her prison, faced her trauma, and re-entered the world—no longer the fearful recluse but someone who chose connection over safety.