Movie: Crimson Peak
Direction: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver
Music Director: Fernando Velázquez
Cinematography: Dan Laustsen
Editor: Bernat Vilaplana
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Rating: ∗∗∗½
What is it about: This one directed by the visionary Guillermo Del Toro, in this he bridges two genres with caution. A young lady Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) loses her father in a so called accident which in fact is a mystery murder. She gets drawn towards a young man Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) who is a mystery himself, tries to woo Edith for his ulterior motive. In this his partner in crime is his sister Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain). They take Edith to their gothic mansion in English hills. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Why it’s disappointing: There’s not much, which we can say is disappointing, except for the mellow treatment to the horror side of the movie.
What to watch out for: Guillermo has a panache to make movies which spells fantasy to a different level. His portrayal of the characters are an example of how distinctive you can see them on screen. “Crimson Peak” is yet another example of his unique approach. This dangles between horror and fantasy but fixates on the subject and doesn’t deviate from it.
The characters were well chosen, Jessica Chastain has done a remarkable job as Lucille Sharpe, and her shades of grey were well derived. She was seen in a different attire from the usual. Tom Hiddleston, for those wondering who is this actor, he is none other than “Loki” the brother of THOR from “Avengers”. He did a good job which had some room for performance. The lead Mia Wasikowska suited the character well, to which her appearance complimented.
The movie being a fantasy-horror had a lot of room for VFX, which was tastefully done. Whether it’s the horror or the prosthetics which it required were taken care by the VFX team very well, who did a great job. In fact 3D would have been a good choice for this one. These visual effects were well matched by perfectly mixed sound. The cinematography was splendid with Grimm mood and was well edited keeping it short and sweet.
Verdict: Guillermo Del Toro draws a thin line between fantasy & Horror which manages to get through satisfying the fans of these genre. It creeps you, scares you at places and definitely appeals you visually. Watch it if you’re a fan of erratic fantasies which Guillermo is famous for.
