Crimson Peak: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay— a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.
I didn’t get a chance to see this film in theaters but I had a certain expectation about it after seeing numerous trailers. First off, the film looks amazingly beautiful. The style and theme (which normally is not my cup of tea when it comes to movies) feels so creepy and is definitely something that will catch someones attention almost immediately. The cinematography very much screams out Del Toro and has this artistic yet eerie feeling to it which I really loved. This might be one of the few films out there that people will want to check out just by seeing the visuals. They really are impressive. With that being said I did think that there was a bit too much CGI being thrown around in the film. I felt like it cheapened the experience a little bit but not enough to make me want to turn it off. The story was intriguing and engaging the entire way with plenty of twists and mystery to keep you guessing. The only thing is that it ended up telling a story that I didn’t expect. From watching trailers I was under the assumption that this was a straight ghost story. It turns out that this is more of a murder mystery that just so happens to have ghosts in it. It wasn’t a bad thing but just something that took me by surprise. Tom Hiddleston shines as usual and is just as charismatic and charming as his role as the Marvel villain Loki. Jessica Chastain was just as great and commanded the screen with her presence…..as well as her craziness. I felt like Mia Wasikowska was the perfect choice for the protagonist. She had this “girl next door” demeanor that made you really become invested in her journey in the film. Del Toro has done it again and although the film does have its small flaws it’s the best of his films to date. I recommend watching this twice. Once for the story and another to admire the his style of filmmaking. 8/10
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes – About 5 scenes here that are pretty short. To me that just tells us that everything that was shot pretty much made the cut.
I Remember Crimson Peak – This four part feature takes a look at some of the locations in the film and goes in depth about the creative process regarding the design and what inspired the use of these places.
A Primer on Gothic Romance – Del Toro and members of the cast talk about the history of the genre and how it affected the film.
The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak – A look at the coloring of the film how it’s a part of storytelling.
Hand Tailored Gothic – This feature focuses on costume design just how complex some of the outfits are.
A Living Thing – A detailed look at the actual house in the film.
Beware of Crimson Peak – Tom Hiddleston gives us a guided tour of the house in the film.
Crimson Phantoms – A look at the ghosts in the film and the CGI and practical effects used for them.
Feature Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Guillermo Del Toro
