Edith Cushing (Mia Washikowska), the daughter of a self-made industrialist, once had a terrifying encounter with a ghost that warned her to “beware of Crimson Peak” and now she writes ghost stories that are dismissed by publishers who think she should write romance.  She meets a visiting aristocrat, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who is requesting money from her father for a clay mining rig.  Her father refuses to fund the invention and he extends his stay to court Edith.   She meets his cold sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) who treats Edith with disdain, but Edith does end up marrying Thomas and she returns with him to England to his family home called Allerdale Hall.   She is soon caught up in the mysterious past of the place and is haunted by the ghost that visited her as a child.  Meanwhile, Edith’s would be suitor Dr. McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) starts to uncover why Edith’s father refused to fund Sir Thomas Sharpe’s invention.

 

CRIMSON PEAK is a lavish ghost story/ gothic romance mixed with romance, drama, and horror (think of it as WUTHERING HEIGHTS re-imagined a gothic romance/ ghost story.  It is the descendant to classic ghost story movies (like Robert Wise’s THE HAUNTING) and it will appeal to fans of director Guillermo del Toro’s other horror movies like THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE and PAN’S LABYRINTH.  The film is very well cast (even though Tom Hiddleston looks forever Loki while Mia and Jessica transform themselves for the characters) with great production design and a haunting film score.   Given its $55 million production budget, it is too early to call CRIMSON PEAK a bomb at the box office since I am confident it will make back its money and eventually turn a profit.   Smaller films like this are a way to show del Toro’s range as a director whether it is smaller budgeted horror movies or bigger budgeted films like HELLBOY, HELLBOY 2, and PACIFIC RIM (the sequel is in development).  If you’re looking for a great atmospheric horror story to watch on the big screen or when it comes to blu-ray, DVD, or digital, CRIMSON PEAK is the perfect movie for you.

 

This review is ©10-19-2015 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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