Crimson Peak (2015) (English Language)

Review

119min

Genre:      Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance

Director:   Guillermo del Toro

Cast:        Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain…and more

Writers:    Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins

After suffering a personal tragedy, a young 19th century American woman is seduced by a charming British aristocrat and his mysterious sister to cross the ocean and settle in their manor house in Victorian England, things take a dark turn as the house begins to reveal its horrifying secrets in this gothic horror/romance from visionary director Guillermo del Toro.

We’ve come to expect a certain level of creativity and high production value from a Guillermo del Toro film over the years and ‘Crimson Peak’ exceeds these expectations with a stroke of artistic flamboyance that makes it a masterful portrait of moving images.

It’s no surprise that this film is a feast for the eyes and ears, a triumphant combination of spectacular production and costume design with stunning cinematography and a powerful soundscape, no doubt ‘Crimson Peak’ will be tough to beat across a number of technical categories at next year’s Oscars.

Tom Hiddleston’s performance as the conflicted “Sir Thomas” is accomplished but the centrepiece of the film, aside from the house, is the foreboding relationship between Mia Wasikowska’s “Edith” and “Lady Lucille”, brilliantly played by Jessica Chastain, who despite the supernatural terrors is the true dark heart of ‘Crimson Peak’.

However the narrative and the very nature of the film are both its strength and weakness depending on your point of view. ‘Crimson Peak’ is simultaneously a gothic romance, period costume drama, murder mystery and a stylish horror picture that harks back the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, albeit with Del Toro’s modern artistic strokes and 55 million dollar budget.

But straddling several genres without committing strongly to a single one leaves 2 ways of taking in the film. If you’re cinematically open-minded you might take positives from each of the elements whether you’re a fan of those types of films or not. Alternatively though ‘Crimson Peak’ might be too melodramatic and not horrific enough for horror fans, or too horrific and not romantic enough for costume drama fans, and is held back by faithful but often tedious Gothic drama dialogue.

The Bottom Line…

Although it spreads itself a little thin in terms of narrative, ‘Crimson Peak’ is more than satisfying enough to keep audiences engaged throughout, and weaves a stunningly vivid cinematic tapestry that reintroduces dark Gothic beauty to modern cinema.

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Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Dracula (1992)

A Transylvanian count and ancient vampire travels to Victorian London to seduce a young lady he believes is the reincarnation of his deceased wife, his dark powers wreak havoc upon an unsuspecting city as he seeks resting peace after 400 years of torment in this adaption of the Bram Stoker classic.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins among others.

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