Guillermo del Toro is a visionary director who’s gotten a lot of undeserved hate over the past couple of years. Many seemed to hate Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak has had its share of detractors so far too. Personally, I dug Pacific Rim and consider it to be one of my favorite films of 2013. Where Pacific Rim was del Toro’s love letter to Kaiju and monster films of the past, Crimson Peak is his love letter to haunted house/gothic horror films of the past.
The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring author from a wealthy family who falls for the charming and mysterious Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), an English aristocrat. After marrying him and moving to his family home in England, Edith gradually uncovers the dark past of the Sharpe family.
The film plays as a gothic romance/murder mystery more so than a horror film, but it still has plenty of horror elements to satisfy. The story, while predictable is still compelling and the gorgeous set design and visuals are enough to keep you engaged. Del Toro never disappoints in terms of visuals. The actors are all great, especially Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain. Chastain plays Lucille Sharpe, Thomas’ peculiar older sister. Charlie Hunnam has a great supporting role too as Dr. Alan McMichael; a childhood friend of Edith’s who’s there to look out for her and help crack the mystery behind the Sharpe family. The ghosts are effectively convincing thanks to some great effects work and serve a symbolic purpose to the story and the climax is bloody fun!
In spite of some shortcomings with the story, it’s still an impressive film from del Toro. While it’s not ground breaking or perfect, the phenomenal visuals and solid acting are enough to allow me to recommend it.
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