Gothic horror with a modern twist.
Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak is a very deliberate return to an old-school type of horror story — the Gothic fiction, or romance, genre. But it’s also a uniquely modern spin on that particular style as it switches up gender roles, utilizes CGI to render its ghastly ghosts, and steadfastly earns its R-rating — in spades.
One of those ghosts is first seen early in the film, warning young Edith Cushing to beware of something called Crimson Peak. This is Edith’s mom, recently deceased and now a computer-generated specter that is more spooky than outright scary. But as Edith tells us at the beginning of the film in her narration, this isn’t a ghost story anyway but a story with ghosts in it.
We want to hear it.
Years after this otherworldly run-in, Edith has grown into a headstrong and forward-thinking woman played by Mia Wasikowska. Unlike her peers, who fret about frivolities such as attending social functions and landing a suitably rich man, Edith has real ambitions: She wants to be a writer. Her heart is finally melted, however, when Tom Hiddleston’s Thomas Sharpe rolls into town looking for business investors. Edith’s wealthy dad is suspicious of Sharpe, but not even the independent Edith can resist the charms of Hiddleston. I mean, who can?
But Sharpe, and his scary sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain), are of course tied to the mystery of Crimson Peak, which all these years later will finally come to haunt Edith. After tragedy strikes her family, Edith moves to the creepy, mysterious and decaying English mansion owned by Sharpe and Lucille. Owing to the red clay mine the estate sits on, it has earned the name Crimson Peak, for when the snow falls, it absorbs the red tint to create a colorful effect worthy of a Hammer horror film. And Mama Ghost was right to warn Edith, for there is something very, very wrong here.
Not only are new ghosts stalking Edith in her rather inhospitable new home, but our heroine also comes to suspect that Thomas and Lucille are harboring a deep, dark secret. Chastain is almost otherworldly in her performance as the cold Lucille, playing the piano with the same precision that she deflects any attempts by Edith at friendship. Hiddleston’s Thomas is more sympathetic, torn as he appears to be between his allegiance to his sister and Edith. But as the film progresses and the stakes increase, Thomas’ dance between the two becomes increasingly desperate. Wasikowska’s unique screen presence serves her well here; she comes across as both strong, vulnerable, and just a bit off herself.
We want to hear it.
The only normal one of the bunch, Charlie Hunnam plays a dashing young doctor who is ready to sweep in and save Edith from whatever danger she’s in. Although, really he’s not used for much at all in the script by del Toro and Matthew Robbins, beyond serving as a red herring. Interestingly, del Toro plays with audience expectations regarding where all four of these characters’ paths might lead.
Crimson Peak is a remarkable design achievement for del Toro and his team, even by the filmmaker’s already impressive standards. Every frame is like a painting unto itself, and the house is practically a living, breathing character all its own. The effects of the clay mine deep below the property cause red liquid to run down some walls, for example, making the house appear to bleed. A hole in the ceiling means it can snow inside, and a subterranean chamber offers its own unique if spoilery properties too. But it’s those shots of the house sitting above the wet, red snow that form an indelible image in the mind.
The mystery at the center of the film is an engaging one, as the question is raised of who is truly more of a threat — the ghosts or the humans. It’s a slow-burn to get to the answer, but a rewarding one that pays off in a final blast of shrieking blows and blood. Speaking of which, the film is very R-rated for such a big-budget production, with gore and other adult situations that might raise a few eyebrows. I won’t get into the latter here for fear of spoiling the fun, but you might not be able to look at Loki the same way again after this.
We want to hear it.
That said, viewers who are used to a faster, more modern type of horror/thrill experience might have trouble engaging with the film. But for those who play along with del Toro’s methods, Crimson Peak is a beautifully horrifying experience.
Crimson Peak plays by its own rules, or by Guillermo del Toro’s rules anyway. Featuring memorable performances, amazing production design, and a hard edge that is too often lacking in horror films these days, it nonetheless also manages to subvert some long-standing tropes about the Gothic romance genre which inspired it.
