Review of Cronos (1993) by Isaac O — 24 Dec 2011

Guillermo Del Toro's first feature film Cronos was one that I'd been meaning to get my hands on when a Criterion Blu-ray was first announced way back when. I finally managed to snag myself a copy, and I feel like I was rewarded quite well.

I'm always pleased when I find a genre turned on its head and told in a completely new and refreshing way. Now, this isn't an obvious vampire tale - they actually don't use the word once in the film, nor do they even refer to the undead.

That's not really what the story is about anyway, and that's why it makes for a compelling story. If you're in tune with the story at all, you realize that it's about an old man coming to terms with old age, dealing with his young niece who he's very close to, and having his morbid curiosity get the best of him.

At least, that's the film I saw. You might have a different take it on than me, but that's how I saw it. The film does tend to be too slow at times without winding up the tension in certain areas.

The tone also wavers a bit with Ron perlman's performance during certain scenes. Other than those minor errors, it's a goregous film with a bold color palette and beautiful photography. It also has, as previously stated, a refreshing take on the vampire film, and I'm glad that I waited as long as I did to see it.

Ah, refreshing.