Nightmare Alley Movie Review

Many of you might know but I am a huge gothic horror fan. One of the best directors in the business who captures the essence of the genre is the legendary, Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Guillermo Del Toro. The man has directed some of the best gothic horror tales of the modern age of cinema, with the likes of Pans Labyrinth, Shape of Water and Crimson Peak. He has also dabbled in the superhero genre with the Hellboy films starring Rom Perlman. Whenever it is announced that Del Toro will be helming a project, my interest is peaked and my anticipation rises. This was the case with 2021s ‘Nightmare Alley’. The film was announced in 2019 and the cast is stacked full of Hollywood legends, with the likes of: Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Willem Defoe, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins. Cate Blanchett, David Strathairn, Toni Collette and Holt McCanlly. The film follows a grifter, who works his first at up through the ranks to become a successful psychic, however his hubris leads to his ultimate downfall. The film is a tell tale story of greed, lust and obsessions, with elements of gothic horror thrown in throughout to remind the audience that we are watching a Del Toro film after all.

‘Nightmare Alley’ ended up being one of my favourite films of 2021. Filled with gorgeous visuals, strong direction from Del Toro and fantastic performances. I was blown away with the attention to detail in this film. I had grown to expect amazing visuals from his films, but was still just amazed with how detailed and gorgeous some of these large, practical sets were. The limited CGI that is used throughout, does not detract from the film at all, blending near seamlessly with the use of practical effects and sets. Production designer Tamara Deverell does an amazing job here with this, giving depth to every scene, working tirelessly with set decorator Shane Vieau, to ensure continuity and consistency among different scenes. Del Toro brings all of this together, through the way he directs each scene, using long unbroken shots to really establish this world.

As mentioned here the cast are all fantastic as well. It goes without saying that Bradley Cooper is among one of the best actors on the planet at the moment, delivering yet another strong performance as the grifter Stan. We get glimpses into Stan’s backstory, with it never feeling over explained. It’s not the focal part of the story, but it adds the necessary depth to understand Stan and realise that he is bad news. The supporting cast are great as well. Rooney Mara gives a great performance as Molly, Stan’s lover. We understand their relationship, and admire her for the smart decisions she makes throughout the film. Willem Defoe plays Clem, the director of the carnival. He’s very good as well in a limited role. But for me, the best performance among the cast is Australia very own, Cate Blanchett as Dr. Lilith Ritter. She proves to be the smartest person in the entire film, ultimately setting Stan up for his ultimate downfall. She plays this character so well, showcasing just how versatile she is, in front of the camera. 

The way the film looks is also something to behold. As touched upon, the set drawing and decor make for sure of the best looking sets in recent years, but it’s the cinematography from Dan Lausten, who had worked with Del Toro previously on Shape of Water. Lausten was nominated for an Oscar back in 2018 for his work on that film, and had been recognised again with a nomination for his cinematography in this years Oscar’s. The film just looks stunning and even more impressive on Blu-Ray and 4K UHD. 

All-in-all ‘Nightmare Alley’ is a cinematic triumph that will see genre fans delighted, and those who are looking for something different satisfied. The film has you in its grasp for its entire 2 hour 30 minute runtime and will not let you out of its grasp until long after the credits role. The last shot of this film has stayed with me since I saw it in cinemas back in January. I adore this film and I think it ranks among Del Toro’s best work. Be sure to head on over to your local Sanity or online to pick-up your copy on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K UHD, you will want to add this one to your collection.

Buy Nightmare Alley on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here