Review of Crimson Peak (2015) by Andrew B — 11 Apr 2016

Ahh man, I realllly wanted to like this more than I did.

The sets are amazing, and the gloomy gothic vibe is (almost) consistent and welcome throughout, but it doesn't amount to a whole lot in the end.

The characters are all a bit off, always talking in a very flowery "gothic" way, which may have worked better if the script had stayed consistent with that motif. But as with the rest of the movie, Del Toro tries to break the tropes of the genre he's also trying to replicate, and it all comes out a bit jumbled. Theirs this constant shifting of balance between being modern and old fashion, that Del Toro has done much better in the past, that ends up feeling wrong and actually takes away from the movie as a whole rather than adding to it. For instance a lot of the beauty and craftsmanship that went into the set design was hindered by the constant noticeable digital filtering that went over them. What's the point in making real sets if you are going to make them look fake?

I don't want to be too negative though because there were a lot of genuinely creepy parts and everyone involved was obviously trying their best to make a good movie, but it ultimately suffers from a lack of focus, or even a real sense of purpose as to why it was made in the first place...