Crimson Peak

Released:  October 16^th, 2015

Rated:  R

Distributor:  Universal Pictures

Starring:  Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam

Directed by:  Guillermo del Toro

Written by:  Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins

Personal Bias Alert:  loves Pan’s Labyrinth, mixed feelings about the cast

5.5 of 10

            With the revival of Hammer Films and the popularity of FX’s American Horror Story, the indulgently thrilling subgenre of gothic horror has been making a healthy comeback over the last few years.  It’s a perfect fit for director Guillermo del Toro, who makes lush films that unapologetically dive into whatever genre he’s selected.  Commitment has never been an issue for his films, and commitment is what you need to pull off the gothic high wire.  Unsure footing easily leads to camp or lethargy, and even an assured director like del Toro can stumble and make something subpar like, well, Crimson Peak.

            Named for a creepy mansion that oozes red goo and lets the snowfall in through its ruined roof, the film is about a young author, Edith (Mia Wasikowska), who falls for the dashing British man who owns the estate.  The house proves to have some less-than-hidden demons, and soon Edith finds herself warding off strange occurrences in every cranny of the house.

            Crimson Peak certainly wears the mantle of gothic horror with pride, seizing every opportunity to ratchet up the flair surrounding its simple story.  This is a gorgeous film that understands how delightful it is to see intricate tapestries and frilly dresses surrounding its monsters.  It’s got a rather traditional aesthetic, all greys and reds that, when paired with del Toro’s inventive vision, gives you some awe-inspiring moments of visual splendor.  Expect to hear its name called out many times come Oscar season and for it to take center stage in the program’s clip packages, because short snippets of this film is really the best way to take it in.

            The issues start piling up whenever Crimson Peak tries to tell its story, which despite a long script process that dates back to 2006, never feels more than half-baked.  Part of this is because of misleading expectations; the studio has marketed it as pure gothic horror, but long portions of it is really gothic romance.  That may seem like splitting hairs, but when someone goes in expecting Mary Shelley and gets a slightly bloody Jane Austin instead, they’ll almost certainly be disappointed.  The simple fact is that, despite a clear effort, Crimson Peak isn’t actually scary.  The pacing is all off, the ghosts are neither well designed nor clearly rendered, and the ending trips all over itself.  It’s possible that this stumbling be due to the film’s age.  Back in 2006, some of the twists del Toro takes us on may have seemed genuinely shocking, but now that we have American Horror Story and Penny Dreadful bringing bloody, shocking horror into our homes on a weekly basis, the story that Crimson Peak ends up telling seems decidedly quaint.

            The more detrimental error, though, is the film’s complete inability to form full, consistent characters.  It only needs to establish four people for the film to work:  Edith, her childhood beau Dr. Alan (Charlie Hunnam), Thomas, and Thomas’s sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain).  But del Toro and fellow writer Matthew Robbins fail to make any of them interesting throughout, most notably with Lucille and Alan, who are barely-drawn sketches that Hunnam and Chastain do their best to bring to life.  Thomas and Edith get a bit more attention, but the interesting traits they are given (Edith is a bit of a feminist and Thomas is an unacknowledged inventor) are picked up and tossed away on the fly.  As gothic stories tend to be slow movers, of which Crimson Peak is no exception, the lack of characters that you really care about cripples the film’s slow progress.

            Despite these disappointing setbacks, Crimson Peak will keep your attention throughout.  The cast does their best with what they’re given, and several of them are charming enough to watch even in their most flawed roles.  Sitting back and letting its visual charm wash over you is really the best way to take this film in, as you sure as hell aren’t going to get anything from its story.

Other Notes:

Ø  What a waste of Jessica Chastain.

Ø  Those ghosts really need to give more specific warnings.

Ø  Proposed drinking game:  drink whenever the shoulder ruffles on Chastain or Wasikowska’s dresses are larger than their heads.  You will get very drunk.