Nightmare Alley movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Nightmare Alley

This dark drama is currently playing only in theaters.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 2 hours 30 minutes (That’s a long film!)

IN A NUTSHELL:

Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro wrote, directed, and produced this film. It’s about a charismatic but down-on-his-luck carnival worker, Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), who endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn). He crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

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William Lindsay Gresham wrote the original novel Nightmare Alley which was turned into a film in 1947. Guillermo del Toro claims this is not a remake of the film, but an adaptation of the book. Called a neo-noir thriller, this gritty, psychological drama showcases how the director can so adeptly paint a terrifying world. His ability to recruit top Hollywood talent in his cast is also a testament to his talent.

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THINGS I LIKED:

I absolutely adore this cast. Filled with 8 Acadamy Award winners and nominees, the list includes the incredible Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Toni Collette, Mary Steenburgen, Willem Dafoe, David Strathairn, and Richard Jenkins.
Bradley Cooper really carries this film as an 8-time Oscar nominee. He also produced it. When filming was stopped due to the pandemic, he lost 15 pounds so that he could appear younger in the scenes at the beginning of the movie. He really does give it his all in every film he’s in. The last shot in the movie is chilling. Director Guillermo del Toro told him he was prepared to take 50 or 60 shots until they got it right, but Bradley Cooper nailed it on the first shot. He’s such a stud-muffin and I’m such a fan.
The color palette really takes you back in time and makes every scene gorgeous to look at. The filming is immaculate.
Impressive production, costume, and makeup design.
There are so many layers to this story.
It kind of felt like two movies. Acts 1 and 3 are very different, yet they tie into each other beautifully.
This is not a “fun” movie to watch but a great lesson in filmmaking. The subject is dark and deep.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

We don’t get to know much about some of the characters by Rooney Mara or Ron Perlman.
The trailer is intriguing, yet I felt like it showed a little too much.