Reviews
[REVIEW] ‘Crimson Peak’ Conjures A Perfect Gothic Drama
Crimson Peak is the perfect film if you want to dissect and break down exactly how skilled a filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro is. Early in the film, Edith meets with a publisher, where she describes her novel as less of a ghost story and more of a story with ghosts in it. It’s very clearly a kind of unsubtle way for Del Toro to have an actress look at the camera and deliver his ethos on the film directly to you (there’s no way to make a meta line that verbatim says “the ghost is a metaphor” not sound kind of corny).
There are only a handful of directors that I would say have a truly all-encompassing grasp on the films they make. Panos Cosmatos comes to mind, as does Dario Argento; no matter what you pick from their catalog, they have a total tonal cohesiveness. There’s something that bleeds through every ounce of their film’s cinematography, a signature on every frame. Guillermo Del Toro is one of those directors, possibly the preeminent among them, and Crimson Peak is certainly the film that embodies his cinematic signature best.
The Haunting Setup of Allerdale Hall
Discriminated against by publishers and rejected by socialites for her ambition, Edith Cushing can find no peace. But when a bold and charming inventor named Thomas Sharpe whisks her away, Edith’s troubles grow deeper. She’s taken to the Sharpe ancestral home, Allerdale Hall, a sinking mansion seated over a clay mine. Thomas and his quiet sister Lucille tend to its dusty halls. But as visions of grotesque red spirits begin to terrorize Edith, the manor’s history and who the Sharpes are, becomes clear quickly—and dangerously.
For the longest time I was told that Crimson Peak was a “slow-burn horror film”, but this is where language when describing movies is sometimes lost in translation for me. Crimson Peak isn’t what I would consider slow burn just because it’s quiet and not as frenetic as your typical supernatural horror. It’s briskly paced, there’s a mystery that unfolds at a steady rhythm, and there are quite a few encounters with the horrific ghosts of Allerdale Hall throughout the film (which are some of the best designed in film history, Mr. X Inc delivers when it comes to effects).
A Dark Gothic Romance at the Center
But in between all the phantasms and frights, there is a dark and uncomfortable romance unfolding that takes precedence. The film is far from unpredictable storywise, but it doesn’t really matter because the roughly 100-minute runtime breezes through, keeping you clung to the drama going on between Edith, Thomas, and Lucille. And when the tension between all three of them is relinquished, it feels less like waiting for a noise to sound off and more like the end of a high-strung violin performance.
If you’re a fan of gothic literature at all, this film has homages to it in spades, the most vocally beloved and represented here being Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Del Toro has said as much, describing the film as “a cross between a classic gothic romance, like Jane Eyre […] and The House of Usher” in interviews. There are quite a few direct references to the events of Usher, including the mansion itself literally sinking into the earth, and its story elements like those that are incorporated which show you Del Toro’s love for gothic romance and his love for this film.
Allerdale Hall as a Character of Its Own
More visible signs of careful planning and execution are to be seen…well, in every other facet of the film. I’m about a decade late and a dollar short when it comes to clever analysis of how everything in this film is beyond gorgeous. But I will highlight that it won a Saturn Award for Best Production Design for a reason: Allerdale Hall is a breathing place, not breathing air but pure death. It’s not full of life, but a wispy, smokey unlife. There’s atmosphere pouring off its walls and stones like heavy bromine vapors. It’s up there as one of my favorite settings in all of horror, alongside the Overlook Hotel and Haywood Ranch.
It’s genuinely criminal that this film didn’t win any of the costume design awards it was nominated for, because they can be downright mesmerizing. They’re a key part of the film’s language, making many of the characters more visually striking and memorable. Chastain’s character, Lucille, arrives on the screen hailed by an outfit of deep red fabric that’s as rich and powerful as the classical music she plays on the piano. In this film, the costumes are a dramatic tool in and of themselves instead of just dressing for the performances, and I will always laud the ridiculously talented costume designer Kate Hawley for what she did here.
Standout Performances from a Perfect Cast
But of course, what is a stage without its players? I really can’t picture anyone else besides Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain in this film, since they make the perfect duo; they both have so much gravity on screen it’s difficult to pull your eyes away. The movie belongs to them, given the kind of bombshell line deliveries they achieve. However, that’s not to discredit Mia Wasikowska, who shows off quite a bit of range as she goes through emotional torment after emotional torment.
Crimson Peak is the perfect film if you want to dissect and break down exactly how skilled a filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro is. Early in the film, Edith meets with a publisher, where she describes her novel as less of a ghost story and more of a story with ghosts in it. It’s very clearly a kind of unsubtle way for Del Toro to have an actress look at the camera and deliver his ethos on the film directly to you (there’s no way to make a meta line that verbatim says “the ghost is a metaphor” not sound kind of corny).
The Ghosts Serve the Drama, Not the Other Way Around
And while I would have disagreed with it in the past, Crimson Peak really is a perfect story about people where the ghosts serve the drama. I can honestly say this film could work without its more horrifying elements, that I can imagine a version of this film divorced from the supernatural, is a testament to the pure amount of craft Del Toro put into it. Unlike Allerdale Hall, Crimson Peaks is on solid ground and is some of Del Toro’s best directing yet.
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
