Crimson Peak

The horror film genre is as old as films themselves, so when you bring in the gothic part of the horror genre, although it's not a new slant on the horror genre, but a bit newer than the traditional horror film. If you go back to 1963's "The Haunting" and its subsequent remake of the same name in 1999, we might have something close to what we have in the offing, "Crimson Peak".

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) is torn between love for her childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) and the temptation of a mysterious outsider, Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds--and remembers.
So Edith decides to go to England with Thomas to a massive, cold mansion atop a mountain of blood-red clay to live along with Thomas' even more secretive sister, Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain). This house is place filled secrets that will haunt Edith forever. Between Desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.

Others to round out the cast are Jim Beaver as Carter Cushing, Edith's protective father, Burn Gorman as Holly, Leslie Hope as Mrs. McMichael, Doug Jones as Edith's mother, Lady Sharpe, Jonathan Hyde as Ogilvie, Bruce Gray as Ferguson, Emily Coutts as Eunice and Alec Stockwell as Finlay.

This was eerily and hauntingly directed by the incomparable Guillermo del Toro ("Cronos" '93, "Mimic" '97, "The Devil's Backbone" '01, "Blade II" '02, "Hellboy" '04, "Pan's Labyrinth" '06, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" '08, "Pacific Rim" '13). If anyone has had any influence on my giving a horror film a chance, it is that of del Toro. The horror genre has never been one of my favorites, but every time I see one of his, it gives me a shot in the arm that I normally wouldn't have through another filmmaker. He brings that quirkiness, eeriness, that twist in the formation of certain characters. His "Pan's Labyrinth" has got to be one of my favorites of his. This was equally well written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins. Both are veteran screenwriters and it shows in spades here. There were a couple of very small areas of slowness, but otherwise this storyline and character development simply rocked! The cast of Chastain, Wasikowska, Hiddleston and Hunnam were solid and played off well from each other. del Toro truly knows how to showcase what a real horror story is supposed to act and look like. The horror flicks today are simply slash and dash fare that ends up looking dumb and contrived, but this was a classic horror film that used to be the common way of creating them...until now. Hopefully this will start a trend. Take note Hollywood.

Whether you're into horror or not, if the story doesn't grab you, the intensely fine directing and writing will. This is del Toro probably at his best, although "Pan's Labyrinth" would be a tough act to follow.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: R                                      119mins.