Crimson Peak Review

Guillermo Del Toro has always had a knack for using creatures in his movies, whether they are fighting giant robots in Pacific Rim or mystical creatures in Pans Labyrinth. So it would make sense that one day Del Toro would decide to dive into the horror genre and he does so with his latest film Crimson Peak.

Crimson Peak is about a young woman, played by Mia Wasikowska, who is swept away to a house on top of a red clay mountain by a handsome stranger, played by Tom Hiddleston. From there madness insues as our lead female is haunted by spirits in an attempt to uncover the mystery that lies in Crimson Peak.

As visual goes, the movie is stunning to look at when it gets to the house. It resembles a decaying Gothic feel to it that you would see in an Edgar Allen Poe poem. The ghosts have a unique look as well, a flesh-less spirit. One thing I notice in Del Toro's films is that the creatures, no matter how scary they look, are never the antagonists. The villain is usually human while the creature is sort of guide on the hero's journey. It falls into the "don't judge a book by its cover" and "man is evil" theme.

Del Toro's story telling is also unique to the horror genre. To paraphrase an interview, Del Toro said to get the ghost or creature out of the way first and then focus on the story and characters. At a time where the horror genre is being controlled  by found footage films like the Paranormal Activity franchise its good to see a horror movie that goes back to its classic roots: An innocent female is brought to a scary house on a hill.

As the plot of this film goes, its not bad but it has its plot holes. (SPOILER ALERT) For example, why does Mia's character sees ghosts? If she can see the ghost of her mother, why can't she see her fathers spirit? What determines who becomes a ghost? Questions like that  came to mind during the movie but were never addressed.

Crimson Peak is a welcomed addition to the horror genre but it comes with some flaws. It raises questions that are never answered but its visuals and characters are interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged.
Grade: B-