“Nightmare Alley” Review
Willem Dafoe and Bradley Cooper star as carnival workers in “Nightmare Alley,” a brilliant mix of horror, crime and drama.
Like everyone on planet Earth, I fell in love with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and I’m glad so many people are going to the theater to support it. However, I can’t help but feel bad for the other films that were released that same weekend that aren’t getting attention. While “Nightmare Alley” doesn’t have a web-slinging superhero, it is a beautiful film that captures the wonder of the circus while blending in the gothic nature of classic horror. While I do plan on seeing other new films before the end of 2021, this would be a magnificent one to end the year on.
In the 1930s, Stan (Bradley Cooper) is a carny low on the totem pole but with great ambition. Over time, he falls in love with an electricity-manipulating performer named Molly (Rooney Mara) and learns the tricks of the trade from freakshow operator Clem (Willem Dafoe), magician Pete (David Strathairn) and clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collete).
Eventually, Stan and Molly set out with their own act where they meet Dr, Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a psychiatrist with the same penchant for manipulation. As Stan’s ambition and lust for money increase, he and Dr. Ritter conspire to rip off high profile people which has grave consequences.
Director Guillermo Del Toro has always assembled brilliant actors for his films but this is his first true ensemble. The cast for this film is incredible and “Nightmare Alley” sees the return of Del Toro regulars Ron Perlman and Richard Jenkins alongside legends like Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette. All of the actors are unbelievable and help sell this gothic story. Dafoe in particular is creepy as this carnival owner who wants to make money at any cost, including going to scary lengths to procure new acts.
(From Left) Stan (Bradley Cooper) and Molly (Rooney Mara) strike up a relationship as Stan learns the ways of being a performer.
Bradley Cooper delivers his best performance since “A Star Is Born” and his evolution from rags to riches is fascinating. But like most gothic stories, his tale is that of tragedy and that makes Cooper all the more engrossing. If his performance isn’t nominated for an Oscar, that will be the true tragedy.
Whenever I go into a Guillermo Del Toro film, I know that he’s going to take me to a strange place and he’ll do it in a way that makes me feel like I’ve always been there. All of the sets and costumes make this carnival leap off of the screen and feel like an authentic environment. The film is incredible to listen to with an intricately crafted sound design that heavily contributed to my love of “Nightmare Alley.” As I watched the film, I found myself smelling cotton candy and the animals of the circus, as if I had been transported to this entrancing place.
While I have never read the 1946 novel “Nightmare Alley” is based on nor have I seen the 1947 film of the same name starring Tyrone Power, this film was so mesmerising that I now have the need to explore more of this story. Instead of feeling like a modern horror film, “Nightmare Alley” feels like the work of Shirley Jackson or Edgar Allen Poe: more interested in building atmosphere than in procuring frights. But when the film ventures into being shocking and horrifying, it excels in the best way.
Richard Jenkins (Left) and Bradley Cooper (Right) listen to director Guillermo Del Toro (Center) on the set of “Nightmare Alley.” Del Toro’s direction results in a lush and entrancing story that showcases his talents as both a filmmaker and lover of horror.
This gothic narrative spans multiple years from 1939 to 1942 and its epic scale is perfectly on display. The entire film culminates in one of the best endings to a film I have seen all year.
While Del Toro’s fans will love this film, it’s interesting that there are no fantasy elements. Most of his work is bent on showing monsters from a different point of view like having one be the hero in “Hellboy” or having the Creature From the Black Lagoon be a romantic in “The Shape of Water.” In “Nightmare Alley,” there is the presence of magic, reading minds and feeling spirits, but it’s all an illusion and a means for the characters to make money.
Guillermo Del Toro is a director Hollywood needs because of how he sees the world. He looks at monsters and sees humanity. He looks at people and sees our weird qualities as a blessing. His love for fantasy and horror result in unique films that will leave you both entertained and entranced. Much like a hypnotist, “Nightmare Alley” will hold you for two-and-a-half hours and won’t let you go until the credits start rolling.
