FilmSnobReviews

Title: Crimson Peak
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

What It Is: When a dashing young inventor Thomas (Hiddleston) mysteriously shows up at Edith’s (Wasikowska) door she’s unsure of what to make of him. You see he has some ideas on how to help her father mine some valuable material. Thomas, however, has other intentions including making the shy Edith fall in love with him. His intentions are far more sinister than they appear. Once Edith returns to Thomas’ house on Crimson Peak, she’ll meet his sister Lucille and all will become apparent.

What We Think: Guillermo Del Toro’s style is totally here. Most of the performances are great, but it’s let down by the inconsistent tone of the film. Del Toro for some reason forgot to prop up the second act of this film and by default it is utterly snooze-worthy. The cinematography is a strong suit and the juxtaposition of the snowy hillside of the peak with its reddish hue is a jarring and gorgeous visual. Of course, red is not just for the hillside when Del Toro is involved, and if you catch my drift you’ll understand where the rest comes from.

Our Grade: C+, I can give a moderate recommendation for this new Del Toro flick, but the main problem is that the whole thing is pretty mediocre. Featuring a talented cast there just isn’t utilized to their fullest potential. This is a classic case of all style and not enough substance. If you are a very big fan of Del Toro’s work you’ll enjoy this and be able to look past the film’s glaring faults. For the regular movie fan, it just has overall terrible pace. Hey on the bright side it looks super cool!