CRIMSON PEAK

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Mira Wasikowska, Justin Chastain, Tom Middleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver, Burn Gorman, Leslie Hope, Doug Jones, Bruce Gray, Emily Coutts, Sofia Wells, Joanna Douglas, Jonathan Hyde

Rating: B+

Guillermo del Toro is back to delight us with his latest film, Crimson Peak, a visual wonder that will entice and tantalize fans who thrive on thrills and chills from scary movies.  The ingredients for this Gothic tale consist of a creaky old mansion, dark spooky hallways, unsavory characters, ghosts romping around in the middle of the night, and a wide-eyed innocent damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. There is a perfect blend of elements to conjure up an intriguing story of mystery, romance, and horror.

The tale opens with young Edith Cushing (Sofia Wells) grieving the loss of her mother. On the night of her mother’s funeral, Edith gets a visit from her mother who has taken the shape of a dark ghastly ghost. Her mother warns her child to stay away from something called Crimson Peak.  Mommy dearest basically scares the crap out of her daughter in her efforts to warn her against some type of impending doom.  Years pass and Edith (Mia Wasikowska) is now a beautiful young woman who shares a home in bustling New York with her beloved father, Carter Cushing (Jim Beaver).  Edith, unlike her peers who focus on parties and landing a husband, has aspirations of becoming a writer as she spends her time supporting her wealthy father in his business endeavors.

One day Thomas and Lucille Sharpe, brother and sister British aristocrats, roll into town seeking wealthy investors to raise funds so that they can start manufacturing a new invention that will dig up red dirt to build the strongest clay on the market.  Carter Cushing is very suspicious of the newcomers while Edith is being swept away by the charms of Thomas. On the sidelines is family friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam), who is also biding for Edith’s affections.  The love triangle is quickly resolved after Edith experiences another family tragedy. She marries Thomas and goes with him to his country estate in England to start a new life.

Edith excitingly enters into her new life and tries her best to bond with her sister in-law, but Lucille will have nothing of it. Clearly, her husband’s sister is hiding something and is intent on keeping control of the home where she grew up.  Edith is settling into her new home when much to her dismay things start going bump in the night. As she wonders through the old mansion holding her candelabra, peering down darks hallways, Edith finds herself being stalked by some rather menacing spirits.  To top it off the new bride suspects that Thomas and Lucille are guarding many dangerous secrets. As the story unfolds it is not clear if Edith is in more danger from the ghosts that haunt her, or the people she now calls family.

Each frame of Crimson Peak is like a work of art.  There is an incredible amount of detail in the film that does an amazing job of creating the foreboding mood of Crimson Peak.  Initially we get to see the beautiful turn-of-the century homes in a thriving Buffalo, New York that were adorned with velvet curtains, crystal chandeliers and fine furniture.  There is an especially lovely scene when Edith and Thomas share their first dance. Then the atmosphere shifts as we enter into the desolate English countryside where we see Allerdale Hall, the Sharp’s old decaying family estate. The mansion breaths a life of its own and feels like something alive that can just consume someone into madness.

Gorgeous over the top costumes, elaborate paintings on the walls, sweeping staircases, snow covered in red, shadowy figures floating around the house, are examples of just a few of the elements that make up the elaborate production design of the film and that alone is a reason to see it.

The stellar cast brings to life the complexity of each character. Wasikowska is angelic as she roams around the aging estate and unveils its mysteries. Hiddleston looks tormented as his character battles between his loyalty to his sister and the love for his new wife.  Chastain (her performance will be the one to remember) plays dark and twisted to the hilt and her character at times comes off much more frightening than any old ghost rattling around.

Crimson Peak is surprisingly violent and will provide for plenty of goosebumps. As the story unfolds it starts to become very predictable and obvious what is actually taking place, and that causes the movie to lose just a little of its charm by the end.  There were so many hints provided alluding to what mysteries were locked away in the ghostly tale that suspense to some extent went out the window. Sometimes the fun in a mystery thriller is being able to play a guessing game. Created in a film-noir kind of style, Crimson Peak, with its CGI effects takes a modern spin on the horror genre.   Del Toro’s latest creation has a savory intensity to it and will defiantly rank high on creepy, weird, horrific, and unsettling once the final climax is reached.

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