Review of Nightmare Alley (2021) by Kirkender — 19 Dec 2021
Del Toro's latest is bloated, gorgeous, and ultimately pays off its setup very well. It feels like a 4-6 hour miniseries that was chopped down to a feature film, because there's so much world that it wants to explore but doesn't dare linger longer than is enough to set up the many, many plot beats.
It's well acted, but the script is so focused on maintaining some kind of momentum that you don't get to enjoy any of the performances. Dafoe, Blanchett, Strathairn, and Jenkins are standouts amongst a stellar cast.
In Del Toro's filmography, it's a solid entry. And it made me want to watch HBOs Carnivale again.
This review of Nightmare Alley (2021) was written by Kirkender on 19 Dec 2021.
Nightmare Alley has generally received positive reviews.
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