Syv fremmede mødes, med hver deres dystre hemmelighed, ved et tilfælde på hotellet El Royale på grænsen mellem Californien og Nevada i 1960'ernes USA. I løbet af en skæbnesvanger nat får de alle en sidste chance for tilgivelse… før helvede bryder løs.
I en serie vignetter diskuterer berømtheder familie, berømmelse, kunst, film, musik, og, ikke mindst, kaffe og cigaretter.
Den unge politibetjent Shane Coopers første dag på arbejde, efter at være flyttet til den lille by Red Hill, bliver hurtigt til et mareridt. Nyheden om en fængselsflugt, der involverer den dømte morder Jimmy Conway, sender de lokale politi myndigheder - under ledelse af Old Bill - i panik og fører til en skræmmende og blodig konfrontation.
CLYDE (Computer Linked Yield Driven Entity) was an alien computer banished from another planet when he developed a virus called a sense of humour. Finding his way to earth, he was discovered by siblings Matt (age 12) and Samantha (age 10) who hooked him up to an old juke box. The juke box came to life...a joking, fun loving, extrovert in a world not quite ready for him. Clyde and the kids work out of Alberto's Diner, in the heartland of North America. Clyde would always send the kids into computer systems...who often faced off against the bugs...and helped solve everything from nuclear disasters to why the competing diners were selling more hamburgers. With Clyde's Brains and some the ingenuity on the part of Matt and Sam, they always averted the danger in the nick of time.....even when it was Clyde who caused it!
