CRIMSON PEAK – The Review

Horror isn’t all about scares and frights. In fact, horror should be more associated with “fear.” That’s not always the case with most modern horror films. So often they are interested in producing thrills and cheap scares like making the audience jump from a cat popping out of a cupboard. Real fear is different. And fear in a good horror film isn’t always associated with the audience. In old, classic horror films, fear had more to do with the sense of fear felt by the main protagonist.

In many ways, Guillermo del Toro taps into this classic idea of fear in CRIMSON PEAK. We experience Edith’s fear (Mia Wasikowska), instead of del Toro engaging the audience. Of course, there are a few jumps along the way, but CRIMSON PEAK wants to be more of a gothic romance than what is typically shown at the multiplex these days. And you know what… that’s okay.

Edith Cushing (a nod, no doubt, to the late horror actor Peter Cushing) is an aspiring author who pines to be the next Mary Shelley. In the meantime, she spends her days working in her father’s office. That is until Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) walks in one afternoon. She’s immediately taken with him, and he seems just as smitten with her. The two quickly fall in love, even without her father’s blessing. Edith soon moves away to join Thomas and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) in their family’s estate, Allerdale Hall. It is here where Edith begins to second guess her decision, as she comes in contact with strange sightings at night and experiences Lucille’s mysterious ways.

As to be expected with Guillermo del Toro, the art direction is the reason to see his films on the big screen. At this point, his films demand to be seen in theaters, and this is coming from someone who very much loathed PACIFIC RIM. The sumptuous lighting; the rich costumes; the extravagant set design; all of this amounts to a feast for the eyes that fans of the director will no doubt soak up. However, as of late, his stylish visuals seem to glisten and shine too much. It’s as if they look too crisp and produced, thus taking away from the classic feel he’s no doubt attempting to invoke.

The gothic romance is a genre that can be hard to put your finger in. At times, I think of it as a heightened reality. Almost having a melodramatic quality. And yet, it doesn’t feel cheap like the word melodrama sounds. There’s a sophistication to how the story plays out and how the actors present it. It’s a style that may seem forced or silly to some, but if you’re familiar with films like THE INNOCENTS or Alfred Hitchcock’s REBECCA, you will see a sense of what del Toro is attempting to achieve.

For the most part, I would say he is successful. As per expected, Wasikowska and Hiddleston make a quaint and charming couple. You can practically see the romance flickering in their eyes. However, who rightfully steals the show is Jessica Chastain. Her wicked turn as a conniving sister is devilishly delicious, making you frightened to have her cold eyes come in contact with yours. That being said, can del Toro please stop trying to make Charlie Hunnam happen? He’s not good. Just please stop him.

One of the downfalls of the film is the lack of suspense. Every character’s motive or action is set up well before it happens. Every twist is as obvious as stepping on a creaking floorboard. But I guess that’s the point. Again, I feel the type of classic films that make up this genre are the same way. The film isn’t about the scares or the twists or even the ghosts – it’s about the sense of wonder and fear we are meant to experience through the eyes of our unknowing victim.

CRIMSON PEAK is an exercise in style. Much of this is a classic style, except when del Toro wants to “have his traditional ghost story and savor his gory kills too” – that’s a phrase, right? The gore at times will take you out of the film. As the film progresses, it makes sense to increase the “crimson,” if you will. But an extremely over the top kill towards the beginning of the film feels excessive for no reason, and then adding a scene in the morgue showing that body just makes it worse. The violence towards the finale didn’t bother me, but certain scenes that came earlier feel like a conflict of style.

Even though it’s being advertised as a straight-up ghost story, CRIMSON PEAK is more of a romance with a handful of ghosts thrown into the mix. Ghastly figures emerge from dark corners but never is the film truly about that. Del Toro has succeded at creating better lush visuals before. He has also succeeded at creating better ghost stories. Even more so, he has stirred human emotions more successfully (see PAN’S LABYRINTH, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, and CRONOS for examples of each of these). CRIMSON PEAK sees the accomplished Mexican director at his most nostalgic. The nostalgic love he has for the material might not translate entirely on-screen. However, at least del Toro has delivered a gothic horror film that is a feast for the eyes.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

CRIMSON PEAK is now playing in theaters everywhere