What’s it about?
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds – and remembers. – IMDB synopsis
My Review of Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak was, to be quite frank, nothing like I expected it to be. Which is rather stupid, considering who it was directed by. This was a movie that my partner and I repeatedly passed over. Repeatedly. We had heard so many negative things about it that neither of us were wanting to waste our time on it. On a whim, he picked it up from the local rental box tonight and… we were wowed.
Guillermo del Toro’s movie is as beautiful and poetic as it is disturbing and cruel. All the actors deliver phenomenal performances, and even though things were so obvious we were both occasionally scolding the screen, we couldn’t look away. It is bloody hard to get me to NOT look away from a movie. I’ve got serious “ooh, shiny” issues. Everything is much shinier and more tempting than what I’m currently doing (except for reading. NOTHING tops reading).
Our first indication we were in for a treat was the moment we recognized Jim Beaver. The man’s got little screen time, but we both fan-girled over “Bobby! It’s Bobby!” (Beaver’s most well-known role is Bobby from the TV series Supernatural.) Then to see Burn Gorman (Owen from Torchwood) make an appearance had me bouncing up and down on the couch. “It’s that guy! It’s that guy!” (Never said I was a film buff, you guys. Half the time I am the lowest common denominator I snarked about in my Batman versus Superman review. Chastain, the Loki guy Hiddlleston, and Wasikowska all gave great performances. I’m completely unfamiliar with any of Wasikowska’s other works, but she held her own against the weight of the other actor’s more well-known (at least to me) talents. I can’t truthfully even say I have a favorite between the three of them.
I absolutely adored the way this movie was shot. The juxtaposition of gorgeously gothic against the almost absurdly horrible gore had me practically squirming in delight. I feel pretty immune to disturbingly graphic deaths, but every time something horrible happened in this movie, I found myself drawing back in a flinch of unexpected disgust. The fact that del Toro and his actors brought this reaction from me repeatedly is…. rather remarkable.
One of the things that delighted me most was when the ghost came through the door. Ghosts don’t come through doors. I mean, I can’t remember the last time when I watched a movie and a ghost actually respected the fact that it’s an incorporeal being so of course it can come through a freaking door! Del Toro gets props just for going against the grain and giving us that bit of obviousness for once. (Seriously, in most movies its like “Oh yes, I’m a blood-thirsty wraith bent on revenge–until the hero/heroine slams a door in my face — “The wood! The wood! It buuuuuuuuuurrrrrnnns.” The ghosts never go “HAH! I can reach through this thing, you idjit!”)
Overall, Crimson Peak was an absolutely wonderful watch with a high re-watchability factor, and I greatly recommend it. Fantastic!
Click here to rent or buy Crimson Peak now on Amazon.
Title: Crimson Peak | Director: Guillermo del Toro | Actors: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston | Production co: Legendary Pictures | Release Date: 2015-10-16 | Genre(s): Horror & Fantasy | Language: English | Triggers: Mention of deceased baby, baby apparition seen.| MPAA Rating: R | Rating: 5 out of 5
The last scenes were so intense, my sister and I lost ourselves screaming. I can’t say it was a memorable movie, but it was an amazing piece of art.