Crimson Peak (2015) ***1/2

Crimson Peak (2015) is absolutely gorgeous—the cinematography, lighting, costumes, and production design are all exquisite. Guillermo del Toro in full gothic mode is quite pleasing. Having rewatched both Mario Bava's Black Sabbath (1963) (review) and Peter Medak's The Changeling (1980) (review) earlier this year (and thus having them both relatively fresh in mind), the influences of (and references to) those two films on this one were readily apparent. Peak also reminds me a lot of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (1992) (review), though it's nowhere near as good. Still, there's solid acting all around and a sumptuous score. The CGI stands out a bit too much for my tastes but doesn't bother me enough to detract too much. Peak is a feast for the eyes but falls short in some respects. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it's an extremely entertaining, bloody, Bluebeardian gothic romance (with ghosts). It also has a lot of replay value (this is the fourth time I've watched the picture).

Guillermo del Toro Feature Films Ranked