Directed by:
Guillermo del ToroCinematography:
Dan LaustsenComposer:
Nathan JohnsonCast:
Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, Mark Povinelli (more)Plots(1)
When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts what seems to be a golden ticket to success. The more he uses his newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society, the more his ambition grows. Soon, with the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett), who might turn out to be his most formidable opponent yet. (Google Play)
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Reviews (10)
A magical neo-noir thriller by Guillermo del Toro! Nightmare Alley isn't for mainstream audiences and you need to be in the mood for it, but if you're properly tuned in like me, you're in for an awesome magical movie experience. The film benefits a lot from a perfect cast, with Bradley Cooper in the lead and Cate Blanchett also in a very prominent role of her career (the rest of the characters have less space, but Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette and Ron Perlman are good, too). The first hour was very close and appealing to me, set in a post war circus, a setting I like a lot and here they portray very nicely what goes on behind the curtain (all the shenanigans). The story of the wild man is awesome, it has quite a disturbing and sultry atmosphere. Visually it's absolutely breathtaking to the point of being mesmerizing, some of the shots will make want to pause the film and take a picture (Guillermo is a god in visual styling). The second half goes in a different direction, and I won't say which one, but it definitely builds up decently, the tension and uncertainty builds up and the finale is quite uncompromisingly ironic. The film is two and a half hours long and has a slower pace, so impatient viewers will probably fall asleep or give up on it, but I surprisingly stared open-mouthed and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. It's a perfect example of manipulation, psychology, scamming and deception with a nice period setting, magical atmosphere, excellent actors, stunning visuals and well written dialogue. The scene where the older gentleman explains to Bradley the trick of manipulating people with the right words- is great. I took away a lesson from the movie, I feel I was on top of things and it's definitely something to debate with friends for half an hour, so very good for me. Story 4/5, Action 2/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5. 8/10.
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The continuation of a cycle of stories, which, like Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water, lay dusty in the attic until Guillermo del Toro came along and turned it into a visual masterpiece with the help of a stellar cast, one that critics admire but audiences do not. However, compared to the aforementioned works, Nightmare Alley is more mature, thoughtful, confident, and ambitious in its setting and themes. It plays with psychology, noir, detective stories, or almost a hundred-year-old horrors, and despite the predictable twist, it describes the narrative circle almost perfectly. Perhaps only the screenwriting habit of making the main character make exactly the mistakes that the supporting characters (often repeatedly) warn her against seems unnecessary to me since Pan's Labyrinth. But for lovers of the spine-chilling and immersion into images that look like they have aged for decades, this manipulative journey is a sure bet and, for me, the best del Toro film since Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
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A rare oddity. Del Toro finally closed his usual toy store and made his most mature film in a long time, if not ever. Nightmare Alley is a dark neo-noir beautiful ride full of strange individuals, obscured motivations and human hardships, all in a phenomenal, delectable visual stylisation, which is elaborated to the smallest detail. It is not a particularly pleasant viewing and some passages drag a bit too much, but it has its highlights and there are quite a lot of them. Surprisingly, the violence can be as intense and experiential as some of the dialogue and interactions between the main characters. Bradley Cooper in an unusual role, which he tackled more than competently.
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Nightmare Alley drew me to the cinema mainly because of the cast, the premise and, of course, the name of the director. Guillermo Del Toro's films are brimming with distinctive visuals and his latest is no different, aided by the inclusion of the film noir genre, where visuals are essential. I hadn't read the source material, nor had I seen the original film, yet I had a hunch in the first quarter what the outcome would be, thanks in part to its striking resemblance to the iconic Freaks. I admit that I may have expected more from Nightmare Alley, but I still enjoyed it in the cinema, even if it could have benefited from a slightly shorter running time. I was also expecting it to be darker and more brutal – not that I felt the need to see gallons of blood. Acting-wise, however, it was good, especially in the case of Cate Blanchett, but Bradley Cooper also played his part. Last but not least, I commend the likeable and mysterious soundtrack. Three and less than half stars!
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Guillermo has stepped away from his beloved monster(s) and with the grace of a visual perfectionist and a focused depicter of dark, bizarre and fragile characters, he has made the most mature film of his career so far. Nightmare Alley is a psychological drama about false pretense leading to a loss of one’s self, a visual retro pleasure with every shot, the camera gently floating even in the most intimate dialogue scenes. While watching Nightmare Alley, you will recall Browning’s classic Freaks, and your soul will be soothed by the delicate noir stylization and each of the actors’ performances, which adorn the film like a Christmas tree. The protagonist is the story’s worst character – a charismatic but inwardly depraved liar who manipulates the trusting people around him. In the surprising casting of Bradley Cooper, it’s all the more impressive and entertaining to see how splendidly the actor handles playing that character.
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