Crimson Peak

This review may contain spoilers!

Once you realise this film isn't so much a horror as it is a thriller you begin to really appreciate it. I would give Crimson Peak a 7/10.

The premise of this story is quite exceptional because it paints itself as a horror film, however as the plot unfolds the horror elements give way to a story about murder, secrets and a tale of questionable love. What you really have to admire about Crimson peak is that somehow it keeps it's pacing, I found myself very engaged in this film despite the dialogue heavy scenes and the long beats between action. It was a rich film and provided a lot visually, which helped with the pacing as much as the structure of the narrative. For example Del Toro's cinematography in this film is pretty perfect; the shots are otherwise grand or they take in every possible detail. The special effects were particularly good, the ghosts were well made but it was the insects that really stood out.

Tom Hiddleston, who played Thomas Sharp, is such a conflicted character to watch in this film; his emotional range is a true testament to his acting prowess.

However the best performance in this film came from Jessica Chastain, who played Lucille Sharp. In fact this probably one of her stand out roles for me; she really shows her talent as an actress in this film. She gives quite a restrained performance at first, one that is very sinister and grounds us in the tone of the film. However as the plot progresses and we see her explode into fits of rage or give quiet monologues about death and pain we really begin to fear her. If anything Chastain is the most horrific thing within the film, far more than any special effects ghost. The grief we get from her when she kills her brother/lover is just so powerful and very terrifying to watch.

The editing for the film is clearly meant to be an homage of sorts but in actuality just felt out dated and a poor use of transition between scenes. The film itself took far too long to get under way, the first half hour was riddled with quite intensive dialogue and a plot centred more around Carter Cushing than anyone else. The end of the film was bogged down with a weak dialogue exchange that showed the script wasn't capable of dealing with big action sequences. Overall the film couldn't even produce much of a horror vibe, the ghosts were unsettling but all sounded and looked the same.

Mia Wasikowska, who played Edith Cushing, gave the exact same performance she gave in Alice in Wonderland; her inability to feel convincing in emotional scenes was a major flaw in her performance. Charlie Hunnam, who played Dr. Alan McMichael, felt so out of place in this film that you believed he was merely there thanks to his previous Pacific Rim role (which was likely the case); his devoted role just seemed exceptionally fake and he did very little to aid in furthering the film to a satisfying conclusion. Jim Beaver, who played Carter Cushing, was quite monotone in this film; he gave a very rigid performance and it wasn't a big loss when his character died no matter how gory it was.