Review of Cronos (1993) by Lori B — 03 Apr 2013

The great Guillermo Del Toro - who we have to thank for the superb Pan's Labyrinth - had to have started somewhere... and here it is... Cronos. It's a tale of an elderly antiques dealer who finds an ornate ancient device that, once used, can prolong life but there are some side effects... the need for human blood.

Cronos has all the tell tale Del Toro traits, the story partly through the eyes of a child and the skilful artistic cinematography. 1993 was a long time ago and this film has admittedly begun to show it's age but this is by no means a negative, it still is a very effective and thrilling story. The scenes showing the inside of the device with its intricate cogs and mechanisms are both beautifully put together and perfectly cut. The set design is also fantastic, particularly the terminally ill millionaire's chamber - it's bold, extremely creepy and very dramatic. The film is a little heavy handed with the whole religion angle but this is just a minor qualm.

Cronos is the beginning of something great - I'd like to see what Del Toro could have done with this story with his now honed skills, ample experience and today's big budgets. Regardless - Cronos is a very interesting film, creepy, sharp and interesting, stamping his mark as a truly great director.