Nightmare Alley (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, December 23

R Running Time: 150 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Guillermo del Toro films are always interesting and with Nightmare Alley, he delves into the throwback film noir genre to deliver a suspenseful film full of manipulation and betrayal.
A tremendous slate of actors are in the ensemble, led by a terrific Bradley Cooper and a perfectly cast Cate Blanchett.
From a technical standpoint, del Toro’s movie dazzles with an artistry and atmosphere that serves as both ominous and authentic to the story being told.

NO

The original film from 1947 runs 110 minutes. del Toro finds 40 more minutes to tack on to his remake and the film is simply too long to sustain any of its potential impact.
Not for nothing, but is there maybe one character we can truly like and connect with? Just one?
When the movie reaches its final act, del Toro makes a choice to bring in some blood and graphic violence to the film and it works against the tone and atmosphere of the film, lessening it to a disappointing degree.

OUR REVIEW

As Guillermo del Toro’s films often deal with nightmarish scenarios, scenes, and situations, nabbing Nightmare Alley from the archives and remaking it for a modern audience, seems a fitting move for the Oscar-winning filmmaker. The 1946 novel by William Lindsey Gresham, previously adapted into a film a year later starring Tyrone Power and directed by Edmund Goulding, deals with desperate people doing desperate things and flirting with an emotional combustion that threatens to eradicate their very soul.

Largely, the story is driven by the immoral desires of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a man who leaves behind a personal tragedy to fit in somewhere…anywhere. Dressed impeccably, perhaps in the only real nice clothes he possesses, Carlisle shows up and quickly embeds within a traveling carnival and circus led by barker Clem (Willem Dafoe).

Clem exploits alcoholics and addicts, hiring them as “geeks,” people willing to do depraved things for the sake of entertaining patrons. Carlisle is initially taken aback but what he sees but carves a path deeper into this new community, soon learning the ways of mentalist Madame Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband Pete (David Strathairn). Taking him under their wing, Zeena and Pete trust Carlisle with their secrets, while at the same time he begins falling for Molly (Rooney Mara), a human conductor of powerful volts of electricity.

As Carlisle snakes his way through the inner workings of the carnival, we see his scheming well before others do. After the opportunity presents itself to do so, Carlisle and Molly leave the circus behind, honing and crafting a mentalist performance that finds them reaching into the upper reaches of Chicago’s wealthy. As for-hire entertainers, the world of “freaks,” “geeks,” and carnies has seemingly been left behind.

del Toro essentially offers a 2-for-1 deal with Nightmare Alley; the first half devoted to carnival and circus life, the second devoted to Carlisle and Molly infiltrating a world they are ill-equipped to handle. Throughout each half, the film moves at a labored pace and remains patient , sometimes to its detriment. Cooper’s charismatic performances keeps us invested in his journey, as del Toro’s screenplay adaptation with Kim Morgan slowly pushes Carlisle deeper and deeper into a world that may potentially consume him.

As is commonplace with del Toro’s films, Nightmare Alley is a stunning visual experience. From the dingy and sleazy circus environment to the pristine and lavish Chicago gatherings, so much of the film feels like a series of mazes Carlisle must solve to stay relevant in his shell game of a profession. The production and set design work of Tamara Deverell and Oscar-winner Shane Vieau, respectively, is as imposing as it is impressive. And even with the fantastical stories del Toro tells, he finds an authenticity to the characters and settings which play a vital role in helping us connect to the story.

Drawing us in allows the potential for disconcerting surprises to lurk around every corner. The film’s off-kilter mood and vibe only intensifies when Carlisle meets psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (a magnificent Cate Blanchett) during a reading/performance. The two are curious with one another, circling around each other and drawing closer and closer because of Carlisle’s one-on-one sessions Ritter arranges for him.

Embracing a purposeful disingenuity, Nightmare Alley never plays nice. These are not characters we are going to grow to love and accept - if anything, del Toro keeps having them shove us away expecting that we will be drawn back into the melodrama surrounding them. He’s mostly right. Mara’s performance as Molly seems to be the lone exception, though her willingness to go along with Carlisle’s scam makes her somewhat complicit in the unraveling which undoubtedly arrives for them and others.

Much of Nightmare Alley is crackling with possibility. The cerebral, psychological nature of Nightmare Alley often works well. Striking visuals and Nathan Johnson’s affecting score certainly play a role in immersing into this icky and off-putting world. In the final act, del Toro flirts with visceral gore and brutal violence, losing some of the magic previously generated. Our focus shifts away from how characters are going to get out of certain circumstances, to lingering shots of blood and carnage that equally distracting and unnecessary.

As that violence ramps up, Carlisle has crossed paths with the dastardly Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins). He starts to realize that the wealthy and elite are perhaps just as damaged as the “geeks” and “freaks” he thought he left behind. As the old adage says: “Be careful what you wish for.”

Nightmare Alley may not hold up for all of its 150-minute run time, but the performances are impressive.

Cooper, charismatic as ever, is dynamic as the slimy, scaly Carlisle. Blanchett steals every scene she’s in. Roles like this one - that of an old-fashioned femme fatale, lurking around the upper reaches of society and relishing the opportunity to outwit and out-think a con man - seems custom-made for her. Blanchett’s wordplay with Cooper, and their scenes together, are electric, helping revive an interesting and well-constructed film that spins its wheels a little too often to rank among Guillermo del Toro’s finest work.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, Mark Povinelli, Peter MacNeill, Paul Anderson, Jim Beaver, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Written by: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan
Based on the novel “Nightmare Alley” by William Lindsey Gresham
Release Date: December 17, 2021
Searchlight Pictures/Walt Disney Studios

Guillermo del Toro films are always interesting and with Nightmare Alley, he delves into the throwback film noir genre to deliver a suspenseful film full of manipulation and betrayal.

A tremendous slate of actors are in the ensemble, led by a terrific Bradley Cooper and a perfectly cast Cate Blanchett.

From a technical standpoint, del Toro’s movie dazzles with an artistry and atmosphere that serves as both ominous and authentic to the story being told.

The original film from 1947 runs 110 minutes. del Toro finds 40 more minutes to tack on to his remake and the film is simply too long to sustain any of its potential impact.

Not for nothing, but is there maybe one character we can truly like and connect with? Just one?

When the movie reaches its final act, del Toro makes a choice to bring in some blood and graphic violence to the film and it works against the tone and atmosphere of the film, lessening it to a disappointing degree.