Review of Crimson Peak (2015) by Ahnehnois — 19 Oct 2015

As a Guillermo del Toro fan, I found this something of a disappointment. Sure, it's well-directed and all the del Toro hallmarks are there: a vivid color palate, auspicious insects, intermittent shock and gore. But this is no Pan's Labyrinth. It's a romance, and like most romances, it relies on the audience believing in and caring about a central female character who has no meaningful personality or abilities, who falls for a man who does have personality and talent, who falls for her because of some reason that is never explained or even depicted. Ah, romance.

The production design is gorgeous, but I doubt any of the major cast will be remembered for their parts here. It's a costume drama, but none of them look entirely comfortable in costume. There are ghosts, but honestly, those are mostly window dressing. The other horrific elements aren't nearly horrific enough; there's way too much telling and not enough showing.

The film has its moments, but after you see it, it'll be back for waiting for the Mountains of Madness for who knows how many more years.