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Reminds me of Shutter where, whilst the ghost is malevolent to the men who assaulted her, she left clues for the main heroine to say "I don't like that you're with him but you need to know about him."
Del Toro often handles ghosts like that, they /can/ be evil but it's not the standard, making their appearance that much more intriguing cuz they not only bring a supernatural reality into the spotlight, but an inherent mystery you have to solve around their presence
I liked the atmosphere but some of the creature design I found unsatisfying. The red clay ghost seemed to cgi-y to me. The idea seems to be that we have red clay that conjures images of blood but to me it always looked like red candle wax, especially with the red ghost moving around in full view and brightly lit relatively early in the movie
Kaz Rowe did an awesome video on the costume design and how unbelievable detailed and nuanced the dresses were. (Also the history of tuberculosis in the Victorian age played a big role in the symbolism of the film which is super neat)
It also came out in the Halloween period to cash in on people wanting their average Hollywood scare in a cinema. It's definitely a case of the studio wanting a quick cash grab over longevity. I do think that this movie will take on a more cult like status in the next few years when people accept the movie for what it is.
Thomas' story is one of such tragedy too. The more Edith discovers about him and Lucille's past, the more you realize he's basically been her slave since birth, and is so beaten down in spirit that he's almost a robot in how he obeys her. He's only started to find his willpower at the climax via his love for Edith, he's willing to go down if doctor friend can get her out and she lives, and what's better is doctor friend understands it, and they work together until Lucille gets the upper hand and forces Thomas to stab the other man. Even then he deliberately asks to be shown where to stab so he can live and hopefully turn the tables. As a final act of love for her, he appears as a ghost long enough to distract his sister so that Edith can live. While it doesn't make him less complicit in Lucille's murders and the money schemes, I do think his final acts absolved him enough that he was able to move on with the other victims, leaving only Lucille behind to sink into hell with the cursed manor.
Foundflix made a video saying the same. I originally thought they both were trapped in the house, but after foundflix and a rewatch, I agree Thomas was able to find peace after helping Edith and only Lucille remains.
I agree. I also think that’s why his ghost is white and outside vs black or red. He did meet a violent end but he’s more haunted by guilt and was in the process of becoming a better person.
I loved this one. Tom Hiddleston is so charming as ever, Mia Wasikowska had the right balance of naive yet headstrong and Jessica Chastain is just deliciously nasty while almost appearing friendly if she does like you. Del Toro’s visual style is atmospheric and haunting & the score is creepy yet beautiful and it took another viewing to pay attention to the twist between Thomas and Lucille
My favorite part of this movie is the subversion of the ghosts. we've been trained (media wise) to expect ugly, disfigured ghosts to be evil and malicious. So we spend most of the movie with Edith expecting the ghosts to be the dangerous part. The subversion that it's just what ghosts look like and they were all trying to save someone from a fate they already had is very refreshing to me.
@@VideoGameAutopsy *sigh* Time to add “A Haunted Mansion movie that’s just as shockingly shit-pants creepy as Phantom Manor” to the list of things Disney has taken from me…🫡
Crimson Peak is still one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen in recent memory. However, I still hate that it was marketed as a generic horror ghost film rather than the gothic romance that it was. It honestly deserves so much more attention & love because it’s an outstanding gothic ghost story.
My little brother describes this movie as one which, whilst he loves listening to it, he can't watch because of how overwhelmed the colours make him feel. Its one of my favourites.
obviously this isn't something you're very focused on, but the costumes in Crimson Peak are AMAZING. They have so much thought and meaning into them, and the whole butterfly and moth comparison with Edith and Lucille is so good. I think you did this movie justice, it's my personal favorite despite not loving most horror movies. I think it really captures the feeling of telling a ghost story around a camp fire with friends.
YES! Both the costumes and the design are so well-thought and just so beautiful in every aspect, that it makes this movie go up my rankings with ease. Just recently I re-watched it and then after Nightmare Lane, and oh boy, Del Toro has one HELL of a visual talent!
I appreciated the misdirection of Edith and the audience suspecting that the pair weren't actually siblings but instead husband and wife. Then Lucille revealing that in spite of their romantic relationship they were indeed brother and sister.
The design of the ghosts in this movie genuinely gave me the creeps. I watched both Crimson Peak and Mamma in theaters. Best horror movie experiences I've had.
For a long time I thought the reveal of the siblings being con artists rubbed me the wrong way, but now I think that was the point. As scary as ghosts and haunting are, the real horror will always come from the people around you first.
Man I love this movie so much. The story is UGLY, but it's visuals are so beautiful. The contrast gives me happy brain chemicals. And Edith with her hair down, with blood staining her hands while the red clay stains her white gown is such a powerful sight for me. I don't know how to break it down and explain why tho, which is frustrating as heck 😆
I don’t understand why you say the story is “ugly”? Ugly, how? In a good way? Because there’s nothing wrong with the story as it’s fantastically well told and made!
@@Gadget-Walkmen yes I mean ugly in a good way. I'm not criticizing its composition. But murder, incest, lies...those are all ugly things. And this movie makes something beautiful out of it all.
What happened was Universal Studios marketed it as a horror film--it *does* have horror elements--instead of a Gothic horror as Guillermo intended. I think what makes this film different is that the house itself is a character
If more Hiddleston wouldn't be an issue, Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive" is one my favourite movies. Where in a way nothing happens but still manages to be immensely captivating with its musings on arts, science and life.
@@cousinmajin It made good impression around festivals, but as a lot of those movies it did horribly with general audience. It was on Netflix for a hot minuite but then it I think got taken off for w/e reason, at least here in UK.
I really liked the motif they had going with the butterfly that eats other butterflies and the costuming the two ladies had during the final confrontation. Their flowing dresses giving them "wings" as they run was a nice touch.
I remember seeing this with my friends, and them not liking it bc they were expecting a traditional horror movie (I blame marketing) but i remembered in the beginning when she said it “wasn’t a ghost story, but a story with ghosts in it.” The ghosts serve as warnings, not enemies, and if you weren’t expecting a gothic horror love story going in, you were likely underwhelmed
My parents & I were all supposed to see Crimson Peak together, but my mom ended up being too sick to go. I brought a notebook with me, and during a post-movie dinner at Applebee's, I wrote every major detail of the plot (in red ink) so I could tell her all about it the next day. I was happy to do this for her because she was the whole reason I got into horror in the first place, and then she finally got to see it for herself on VOD a couple months later. I still have the pages. ♥
I can’t help but be reminded of that “Haunted Mansion” remake that Del Toro was supposed to do for Disney. I guess this was a pretty good approximation. Del Toro is the king of unrealized projects. He works on so many different projects at once, but hardly any of them ever get made. I would have loved to have seen his collaboration with Charlie Kaufman on “Slaughterhouse Five”, or maybe even what his own version of “The Hobbit” could have been.
The main thing I remember from seeing Crimson Peak was my dad (a geotechnical engineer) saying he was snapped out of the film because there are no red clay deposits in that part of Cumbria. Gorgeous film though!
This is a film I highly recommend people get the Blu-ray for because the special features for this film are incredible. When Edith is being poisoned and becomes weaker and weaker, she is swallowed by furniture that was made slightly larger than usual to emphasize her declining health. The entire interior set was built as a 3 story structure on a soundstage. The costuming made Edith and Lucille’s costumes reflect both Butterfly and Moth symbolism to give further weight to Lucille’s scene in the start of the film where she talks about butterflies and the moths that devour them. To that point Edith’s outfits often have large puffy shoulders to mimic a pair of butterfly wings, and some of Lucille’s dresses even have Moth details embroidered on them. Not even to mention the use of colour symbolism in this movie, the more I watch the more I fall in love with this movie and the passion Guillermo Del Toro has for filmmaking.
This movie was instantly nostalgic for me, calling back to Corman’s “House of Usher” and “Masque of the Red Death,” two films I grew up watching on late night television. I loved the ghosts, the aesthetics, and the love story. It’s a shame this one isn’t better regarded.
This movie actually reminded me a lot of Sleepy Hollow, given the period, the colors and the amount of blood splashing lol. I did really enjoy it. Yeah the mistery is not too complicated but the mood is excellent.
I'm so happy you're giving this movie your typical, thoughtful look-through. It's such an underrated gem from Del Toro, I hope this video convinces more people to watch it!
Excellent Review!! Ya know the film was based on an actual social Debutant from the Northeast stolen away to a dilapidated estate in Europe and horrifically abused til she escaped! It's a great true story you should look into
I saw this movie in theatres in 2015 and have been in love with it ever since! I believe it's an understated retelling of the classic fairytale Bluebeard, where a young woman marries an older Baron that she knows nothing about and goes to live with him alone in his family home only to find the dismembered bodies of his former wives in a room she was told to never enter. The way I interpreted the ending was that Thomas was able to move on, evaporating away and leaving Crimson Peak behind while Lucille must endure her greatest fear for eternity. Being abandoned in that sinking house.
I was sad how people were upset with this film because it is a gothic love story. I also Loved how Del Toro subtly changed the size of furniture to reflect certain events.
Yes, I was one of the “horny marvel fans” when I came to see it. However, the plot and cast really did sell this world and movie in a way that makes it one of my favorites. The ways I can tell intricate backstories, read into every character interaction, see new ways the characters develops one each and every viewing, it’s astounding. Even the direct parallel’s of Edith’s book and the story itself come across in a way that enhances the experience, instead of in other stories where it feels we’re being talked down to. And the story Lucille gives about her dead child does make you sympathize, but not forgive her. She’s batshit crazy, and the movie itself doesn’t let you forget it. Thomas’s actions- or deliberate non-action- are the afterdeck’s of a very controlling relationship from his very damaged sister, and if you read Del Toro’s backstories for these characters you see he never had a chance. He does love Edith on some level, but even when he betrays Lucille you see his heart still goes back to her. He still wants her happiness, even when it will cost him his own. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy, and it’s beautiful.
Haha same I'm a huge fan of Tom and went to see the movie mostly for him. But the movie truly surprised me and made me even a bigger Del Toro fan, everything about this movie is beautiful and tragic.
Yeah I saw this with a group of women from my grad cohort and most of them loved the Hiddle-butt and liked the movie. I think the movie's not quite as scary (or even violent) as some of his other movies. Like, I know Ryan thought it was a lot here, but compared to something like The Devil's Backbone or even The Orphanage it's not quite as visceral or frightening. I like the movie but not as much as some of his other stuff
@@merchantfan compared to the collector and insidious, this was a cake walk. I think what Ryan was getting at here was that the violence was so violent compared to the Victorian elegance that it was contrasted with. It’s like it’s the for the first half of pride and prejudice you’re watching “pride and prejudice” and then all of a sudden halfway through becomes “p&p with zombies” you know? (And we all appreciated the Hiddle-butt🤤
Same here! I came into this movie just watching it for Tom but than realizing Mia was in movie as Im a big fan of the Burton Alice films! its so beautifully tragic. I am not one to watch horror movies often (or gothic movies in general) but I was so entranced that the scares got me a few times. I genuinely felt bad for both Thomas and Edith in the end, despite dubious motives from the latter.
I am also a Hiddleston fan, but I loved the idea of an old fashioned horror story. This movie wasn’t quite that, but it was delightfully creepy - not getting its horror from jump scares or an undefined monster. The people and the imagery provide the creepiness and the lead actors were all excellent in the roles.
I adore this movie, Del Toro makes the house a living thing, it bleeds and breathes with the clay running down the walls and the wind blowing through the cracks. The ghosts are grotesque and distorted to reflect their agony, that one that drags itself out of the floor screaming has always left me spellbound, whenever I watch the movie and get to that part I play it over and over again. I also appreciate the attention to detail in the clothing, Edith wears bright colours and the Sharpes dress in blacks and dark, dark blues, reflecting the butterflies and moths respectively. I adore this movie and all the symbolism and work that Del Toro put into it.
I love this movie. The aesthetics are perfect, as always with Del Toro. The story is easy to follow and the payoff is good- the beauty in contrast with the violence is my favourite thing to see. The costume department did it amazing in particular- the costumes stain in blood beautifully, and give the characters a ghostly look, with the bright red of danger. I never get tired of it.
I watched this in the theater with a buddy, who was disappointed with it. He said that he wanted a straight-up horror movie. "Dude, they told you at the beginning; this isn't a ghost story, this is a story with a ghost."
I wish this movie had gotten more love when it first came out. It was marketed as pure horror, but it had so much more depth than I was expecting. I had just graduated from college at the time and one of my last classes was on gothic literature. And boy howdy, I was amazed by the themes Del Toro used. My Literature Major heart was lifted~
This is honestly my second favorite Guillermo del Toro film. I'm a huge fan of Gothic horror. Not to mention that the ghost designs were fantastic. I love the decision of making them different colors depending on the state of how they died. The main cast did a great job too. The story in itself isn't that groundbreaking I admit, pretty predictable but it was executed very well. I think it gets harped on because of the marketing. People were probably expecting a straight up horror film instead of a dark Gothic romance with horror elements.
@@Demi_Purple Pan's Labyrinth. Though I still need to watch Cronos and Devil's Backbone. So as of right now Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite followed by Crimson Peak as my second.
I really love the costumes in this movie. The dresses especially are so grand, stylish, and flowy they really give this elegance that matches with the wispy terror the ghosts give off. Seriously, hats off to the production design & costume design teams. This movie is like a beautiful illustration.
I'm something of a genre fiend, and I love that Guillermo Del Toro had the willingness (and the clout) to present what is an absolutely classic traditional honest-to-Ann-Radcliffe Gothic romance in the style of 'The Castle of Otranto' or 'The Mysteries of Udolpho'. The degree to which it leans unwaveringly into the genre without attempting to modernize the storytelling is admirable and may account for why you found it a little predictable and why many audience, hoping for a more modern approach to horror cinema, found it disappointing. It's an elegant pastiche of a style of literature that's centuries out of fashion and gods bless Sr.Del Toro for presenting us with such a marvelous gem.
It's a very beautiful movie. Like as someone who's very amateur about movie related technical stuff, even i appreciate how beautiful and atmospheric this movie is
I wish this movie had gotten more love when it came out, it's both beautiful and brutal. Gorgeous decaying old manor full of absolutely frightening looking spirits, a sweeping romance and undercurrent of mystery and suspense. It's SO GOOD and so underrated. Happy to see you covering it, and hearing your thoughts on it.
the set design of this movie is just mind blowing I love seeing all the behind the scenes of this movie and even the little details on the walls and everything that are sometimes not shown in the movie
This films is soo gorgeously gothic. The house is a character in itself and the costume designs ugh the detail stunning. I have to agree though It should’ve been marketed more in terms of a thriller spectacle more than a horror relying on the ghosts and only one or two jump-scares to market it. If it had taken a thriller style trailer I reckon maybe it would’ve been more popular.
I genuinely love Crimson Peak and a cure for wellness. They were my first horrors that weren't anime, manga or creepy pasta reading on youtube. Those two are really what really got me to explore the genre. Sucks that they aren't well liked. :/
this film's atmosphere oozes out of every shot and that's honestly what makes it so engrossing. It's a pure distillation of the various flavors of the Gothic novel genre into a single aesthetic. Reminds me of Porphyria's Lover, The Yellow Wallpaper, A Rose for Emily, Ligeia, and Medusa's Coil all at once.
This is one of my favorite Del Toro movies, the details are just everything. The fact that the ghosts aren’t malicious beings but instead act as warnings to Edith from the get go, the de-evolution of Edith’s dresses and mirroring her own changes throughout the film, and the moth + butterfly symbolism being some of my favorites. For anyone who likes this movie and hasn’t already, I’d highly suggest checking out the companion book that talks about the behind the scenes and gives so much commentary on the film!
I watched this movie when I was in high school and it became my favorite movie that year. It’s definitely in my top 100 favorite movies list. You’re right about the scary part, I didn’t expect it at first and didn’t like the horror part but I love it. Awesome video.
It reminded me a lot of Corpse Bride. Marriage with ulterior motives, gender expectations, old money versus new money, butterfly imagery, even down to (spoilers) the "other woman" playing the piano for her unrequited love as a corpse.
I love it when stories like this implement ghost in other ways than just being these horrifying creatures from a realm of evil. They genuinely just add to the creepy ambience in the story and are used to street us closer to what’s actually going on.
This movie was great to watch. Bad marketing is what ruined the movie for some people. It was advertised as a horror film, when it's actually suspense thriller
Would love to see an in depth look at the "forgotten" haunted house classic The Changeling from 1980, starring George C Scott. One of my absolute favorites.
One thing I like to point out about Guillermo's movies is that they always have a lingering theme of loss in them. Hollywood cinema, more often than not, deals with the restoration of the status quo. Its about a normality confronted by a disrupting element and the whole plot deals with the search for the reinstallation of said normality. "E.T", for example, its about an extraterrestial and his friendship with a human child, yes. But he also plays the part of a "family consuelor" that gets the whole family together again at the end of the film. The themes of separation, divorce, family disruption are never touched upon but as a menace of the american values. Guillermo's films reject this idea, the characters always change, sooner or later, and their world gets shattered at the end of the film. For better or for worse. That's a characteristic that comes exclusively from a non-american director. That's what I urge to americans to do: to watch (not only "see" or "consume") more foreign cinema. The search for the eternal cycle of the reinstallment of the status quo is not healthy, everybody needs to share more challenging ideas.
And there's NOTHING wrong with "the restoration of the status quo" as long as it's done in a morally right and healthy way that ET provides as well. The whole point of the themes of "separation, divorce, family disruption" are there in ET to have an obstacle for the family to go against in the film and overcome to be stronger than ever and it's provided in a healthy manner as you WANTED the family to stick together despite the father figure leaving the family. So that movie also has this "theme of loss" as a father leaving his family is a BIG deal and not something that'a ever fixed in the film as the dad doesn't come back and it DOES effect the characters. Those 3 things are a menace to ANY family, not simply "american values" and it's a stretch to thing that it's just that. Del Toro's films deal with some things, Spielberg's movies deal with another, you can't compare them and expect every movie to be the same because they really shouldn't all be the same as the diversity of themes in film are a strength as both how ET and Crimson Peak handles their movies are fantastically well done!
Such an underrated gem! Although I interpreted the ending screen splash as the entire movie was Edith’s book- a fictitious love story that happened to involve ghosts
The way the film looks just reminds me of late 90s early 2000s supernatural movies so much and I love those movies like Gothika, Grudge and The Haunting
I’d love an analysis of Stake Land. I prefer the first over the second, but the idea of vampire infested world instead of the run of the mill zombie apocalypse was really engaging to me.
This is my all time favourite movie. I saw it originally because in 2015 I was a total Tom Hiddleston fan girl and truly just wanted to watch him in a romantic role, but I got so much more than I bargained for. For anyone interested, the novelization by Nancy Holder is also excellent, the audiobook even more so.
Crimson Peak reminds me a great deal of Victorian dime novels and the debauched, mostly fictionalized stories from early tabloids. There truly is some wild, spicy stuff in those old stories, and I like Edith as a character, one who’s allowed to be an intellectual, a naive romantic, and a resilient “final girl” character in equal measure. And as a lover of dress history, the costuming of the film is exquisite. Also the practical effects on some of the ghosts are really well done, so I love that as well. It’s certainly not a perfect film, far from it, but it has elements that are done very well, and I enjoy those a great deal.
For all the beautifully rendered ghosts, the best moment for me was Lucille slowly grinding her spoon on the bowl of porridge while feeding Edith which I found hilariously camp.
I'm not lying when I saw this is my favorite movie from Guillermo Del Toro. The cinematography is beautiful along with the score and the acting as well (especially Tom Hiddleston😍). It's a shame the movie wasn't received well, I went to see it with my mom at a midnight premiere and we both loved it of course! People should've given it a chance. It's beautifully done! I live to say that it's a tragic love story with a very hidden backstory.
I love this movie. It's easily one of if not my favorite ghost story and gothic horror, as Del Toro really indulges in that late Victorian aesthetic that as you said contrasts with the violence and gore that end up on display. The romantic connection between Edith and Thomas is so compelling and I was devastated when he died as despite conspiring with his sister to manipulate Edith, he wasnt a bad person. He was manipulated by Lucille just as much as Edith was by both of them. Also, thank you Guillermo for casting Tom Hiddleston as Thomas instead of Benadryl Cummerbund. The absolute WORST casting suggestion ever. The man is as charming and charismatic as soggy toast and can only ever seem to play his characters as disingenuous and cynical assholes.
I remember walking out of the movie and being disappointed because I thought I was going to see a horror movie. It was marketed as such, so it was what I thought I was getting and was not prepared for the gothic love story. Then I read about how the marketing team went overboard on the horror and underplayed the romance aspect. However, once I revisited it, I realized really how beautiful it was and it's honestly one of my favorite movies. It's so atmospheric and wonderful. A perfect gothic romance. I think it's very interesting that you thought they were ghosts or conarists. Interesting. So, Lucile killed both of their parents (their fathers death is revealed in the tie in novel, which is also really good; I normally don't like tie ins) and was the one who, took advantage of Thomas when they were children, which their mother found out about and why Lucile killed her. I really appreciated your review of the movie because I actually never thought about the fact that Edith is the heroine, the one that saves the day. Maybe I wasn't thinking about it enough, but you make a great point about not having Michael actually save the day. As always, I would love to see a video on Ginger Snaps (there's a whole trilogy), the Fear Street trilogy, You Might Be The Killer and The Final Girls.
Not gonna lie, the moment I saw the black veiled ghost creepily touch Edith's shoulder with its creepy long fingers, I went"...is that Doug Jones playing a dead woman?" One imdb check later, yes, it was Doug Jones playing a dead woman.
This is actually one of my favorite movies! I love the acting, the aesthetic and the hauntingly beautiful use of creepiness in the way that makes you feel on edge and not simply afraid of the next jumpscare!
A Big good point of Crimson Peak is how close it is to classic gothic horror. The supernatural warning, the tragic love story, the big mansion, the eerie landscape. Horror surrounded by an ethereal beauty, harbouring a mistery.
I also didn't see the incest twist coming, my theories were that either Lucile is Thomas' adopted sibling (like Frankenstein and Elizabeth) who had some sinister backstory, or that there is some curse on the manor that requires young women as sacrifices to break the curse and stop the sinking (thinking Cabin in the Woods). IDK if the incest really adds to the story, they could have just been serial killers and the result would have been the same. However, what the film lacks in narrative nuance, it GREATLY makes up for it with its aesthetics and historical accuracy. I LOVE all of the dresses in this film, it took an era that's usually stylized for sex appeal and modernity and stuck with history i.e. the mutton leg sleeves, the clean updo hairstyles, etc.
I loved this movie so much I'm glad you covered it! I was afraid of watching it bc I'm usually VERY scared of paranormal movies, I don't like cheap jump scares and bad ghosts design either, but when they are well done I actually love them and don't mind getting scared sometimes. Fun fact (I guess): the actor, Javier Botet, that interpreted the ghost of Pamela, Enola and Margaret is the same actor as the demon in REC (which is when I saw him for the first time), and other great movies when they need someone that is 2 meters tall and very flexible, he's amazing.
watched this movie with my sister one night a few months ago on a whim and we were both very pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed it. it really wasn’t like anything I’d seen before with its mix of romance, mystery and straight up horror. plus the surprisingly emotional element to it. i personally really like it :)
This was the movie that made Del Toro one of my favourite directors (though he was already halfway there with Pan's Labrynth). It was snubbed for production and costume design awards. Also, I was 100% convinced before I saw it that the Sharpe's were vampires.
I really enjoyed this movie and how the colors having meaning throughout. I feel like this is such a beautiful movie. I know a lot of people might find it disappointing but I treasure it. It’s dark but has tragic love story which I enjoy.
I adore this movie. It scratched my gothic novel itch real well. Having modern creatives take up Bronte style stories makes me happy because this genre is so ripe for the pickings. Charlie Hunnam was a treat in this. I loved him in Nicholas Nickleby with Anne Hathaway so him being in a period film didn't bug me.
This is one of my favorite Del Toro films. It's just so visually stunning and I really like Edith and her surprising strength of will and the complexity of the siblings. They're full of a very human villainy.
One of Del Toro's best movies for me. I really liked it. Although it wasn't all that truly scary, the designs for the ghosts were really grotesque and cool. :)
I didn't get to see Crimson Peak until last year, and I've watched it three times since then, lol. It quickly became a favorite. The way Del Toro gets such great people in costuming and set design is matched by no one. I saw a video on the behind the scenes and hear they had the main hall of the house mimic Lucille's eye color, to symbolize how tied to it she is and just *chef's kiss*. You can dig and dig into the symbolism because Del Toro always serves up a feast of it if one is so inclined to look.
The costume design by Kate Hawley is out of this world. The gold and giant sleeves of Edith, the absurdly intricate gowns of Lucille, that are several decades out of fashion. Also they didn't shy away from the hats like modern movies so often do.
This is one of my favorite movies (my second-favorite del Toro after THE SHAPE OF WATER), and I'm so happy you covered it. Your theory of the film as a satire of early goth culture is really intriguing; I would read that article or watch that video. And since you mentioned NIGHTMARE ALLEY, I'd love to see you discuss that too, both 1947 and 2021 films. They're both noir, but I feel that of all the noirs I've seen, they're the closest to horror.
excellent review! I am curious if you've ever seen these mockumentary found footage movies: Savageland Horror In The High Desert Skyman highly recommend!
I can’t remember if you’ve ever done a video on The Terminator. People associate the series with action, but the original is a straight horror movie. He’s more like a robotic Michael Myers in that one.
Great take on this! I kind of dismissed the film the first time I watched it, as I was expecting something else, but the second time I really appreciated the characters and all the beautiful details! The Shape of Water is my favourite Del Toro film. I would be interested to see you cover that one.
i absolutely LOVE Crimson Peak!!! This video was awesome, Ryan. i think my favorite piece of foreshadowing (you touched on it briefly) is the subtlety of Thomas and Lucille’s clothing. Edith and everyone else is wearing very modern, fashionable clothes (for the time period!) while the siblings wear very outdated and bygone style, a major faux pas, ESPECIALLY in the elite circles! an absolutely fantastic tiny detail you may not notice on your first watch!
So glad you are coving Crimson Peak! I adore this movie for its acting, dialogue, costuming, character and set designs (soooo many practical effects!), and the sheer fact that I could enjoy it. I can't watch most horror movies because I get far too scared, but this was beautiful and is easily my favorite (gothic) horror movie.
The Sharpes mother killed in the tub with a butcher knife. Only the wives were poisoned thus far...? Then Ediths mother was of an illness or something. And her father's was seen.
I also was expecting more supernatural to the twist, maybe an Elizabeth Bathory plot where the siblings are actually unnaturally old and lure young women in so as to steal their vitality. But the plot as is allows alot more nuance to the characters. I spefically read the Thomas-Lucille relationship as a chain of abuse. Their parents abused them, and she in turn dominated and sexually abused him. Which gave his inner conflict and redemption some real weight, as while he absolutely murdered a bunch of women he was a victim as well. the whole thing played out the very Victorian themes of insecapable pasts and fate but with a much more modern and frank grounding.
This is by many accounts a very simple and known story, but it looks INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. Is not the type of look many films have and that alones is worth the watch. Plus, I also love the twist being so grounded, it really goes against your expectations specially when you remember how the film was marketed.
I saw this film in theaters and I remember thinking then how the advertising did a real disservice to what the film is. They hyped up the ghosts and “spooky house” aspect when the film almost feels like an early 20th century adaptation of some long-lost gothic novel.
Thanks so much for covering this! It's one of my favorites, particularly for the costume design mirroring the character development. I'd love to hear your thoughts on different versions of older stories. I saw the 1931 Spanish version of Dracula, which has a really fun development history (shot on the same sets as Todd Browning's English language film! but after they were done shooting for the day!), and I was really impressed.
I would love to see your take on The Night House (2020) I watched it very recently and was surprised at how engaged I found myself in the main character's situation, but I also don't know what to make of the film.
As someone who has been researching the Victorian era for over a decade, I love this film. It's a love story to all the books I love, from the 1800s to the 1980s. Good to see you again Ryan. Missed you.
This was one of the few movies were I saw the trailers, got really excited, patiently waited for it to finally come out and for once was not let down! It was just as good as I hoped it would be.
i watched all the way to the end of the video and through the spoilers and honestly i still wanna watch the actual film. it’s also good to know what kinda context is in there (incest, sudden intense violence) so i can be better prepared. thanks Ryan!
I will always love this film for the gorgeous imagery and horrific ghosts. I think growing up Mexican, I was specifically drawn to the “ghosts as warnings/clues/ tells”. Del toro used ghosts in a similar manner in Devils backbone as well.
This is one of my favorite movies! The costumes are breathtaking and I love the trope of helpful ghosts that just want to keep you from making the same mistakes. ❤️
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No, thank you for making this.
Love this movie & you did a great job covering it
The void.
The orphan
Great video Ryan, I’d love to see you cover Midnight Mass or Doctor Sleep!
I still love how the ghosts in this story aren’t necessarily evil but just incredibly creepy clues leading to the truth, wish more stuff did that
I love that that’s del toros mo when he does ghosts in film
true monsters in the mythic sense. Not good, not evil, but living/undead messengers pointing to secret truths soon to be revealed
It's kind of like the haunting elements of The Ring, after the first moment of understanding/twist but before the second.
Reminds me of Shutter where, whilst the ghost is malevolent to the men who assaulted her, she left clues for the main heroine to say "I don't like that you're with him but you need to know about him."
Del Toro often handles ghosts like that, they /can/ be evil but it's not the standard, making their appearance that much more intriguing cuz they not only bring a supernatural reality into the spotlight, but an inherent mystery you have to solve around their presence
The creature design and atmosphere of the movie was so creepy. The costum design was also on point.
This movie deserves more love
I liked the atmosphere but some of the creature design I found unsatisfying. The red clay ghost seemed to cgi-y to me. The idea seems to be that we have red clay that conjures images of blood but to me it always looked like red candle wax, especially with the red ghost moving around in full view and brightly lit relatively early in the movie
@@Wonzling0815 hmmm. That's fair. I didn't mind it that. Like I'm more forgiving towards such like this if it's not too distracting
Kaz Rowe did an awesome video on the costume design and how unbelievable detailed and nuanced the dresses were. (Also the history of tuberculosis in the Victorian age played a big role in the symbolism of the film which is super neat)
The movie was completely let down by its marketing.
It's such such an interesting and beautiful gothic horror but was marketed so badly and wrong.
We should call it the Village Effect.
Ugh, yes! I remember it was being marketed as just a standard horror/ghost story rather than a tragic gothic romance.
further proof that film studio marketers don't actually know how to market good movies
@@Shadeadder yup. It was marketed as a scary creature movie when it was a gothic romance
It also came out in the Halloween period to cash in on people wanting their average Hollywood scare in a cinema. It's definitely a case of the studio wanting a quick cash grab over longevity. I do think that this movie will take on a more cult like status in the next few years when people accept the movie for what it is.
Thomas' story is one of such tragedy too. The more Edith discovers about him and Lucille's past, the more you realize he's basically been her slave since birth, and is so beaten down in spirit that he's almost a robot in how he obeys her. He's only started to find his willpower at the climax via his love for Edith, he's willing to go down if doctor friend can get her out and she lives, and what's better is doctor friend understands it, and they work together until Lucille gets the upper hand and forces Thomas to stab the other man. Even then he deliberately asks to be shown where to stab so he can live and hopefully turn the tables. As a final act of love for her, he appears as a ghost long enough to distract his sister so that Edith can live. While it doesn't make him less complicit in Lucille's murders and the money schemes, I do think his final acts absolved him enough that he was able to move on with the other victims, leaving only Lucille behind to sink into hell with the cursed manor.
Exactly, Lucille's eternal punishment is to be left alone in the sinking house without Thomas.
Foundflix made a video saying the same. I originally thought they both were trapped in the house, but after foundflix and a rewatch, I agree Thomas was able to find peace after helping Edith and only Lucille remains.
I agree. I also think that’s why his ghost is white and outside vs black or red. He did meet a violent end but he’s more haunted by guilt and was in the process of becoming a better person.
@@tashokukisune yues
It’s actually horrifying understanding that she groomed him since a young child , I truly feel bad for him throughout the movie
I loved this one. Tom Hiddleston is so charming as ever, Mia Wasikowska had the right balance of naive yet headstrong and Jessica Chastain is just deliciously nasty while almost appearing friendly if she does like you. Del Toro’s visual style is atmospheric and haunting & the score is creepy yet beautiful and it took another viewing to pay attention to the twist between Thomas and Lucille
My favorite part of this movie is the subversion of the ghosts. we've been trained (media wise) to expect ugly, disfigured ghosts to be evil and malicious. So we spend most of the movie with Edith expecting the ghosts to be the dangerous part. The subversion that it's just what ghosts look like and they were all trying to save someone from a fate they already had is very refreshing to me.
I love the look of this creepy movie. Definitely shows what Guillermo del Toro's Haunted Mansion would've looked like.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can see those similarities and pieces that would have potentially been in that project
Are they no longer doing the new haunted mansion?
@@KingOfGaymes They are, but it's not his version. They have a whole new creative team behind it.
@@VideoGameAutopsy *sigh* Time to add “A Haunted Mansion movie that’s just as shockingly shit-pants creepy as Phantom Manor” to the list of things Disney has taken from me…🫡
Crimson Peak is still one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen in recent memory. However, I still hate that it was marketed as a generic horror ghost film rather than the gothic romance that it was. It honestly deserves so much more attention & love because it’s an outstanding gothic ghost story.
My little brother describes this movie as one which, whilst he loves listening to it, he can't watch because of how overwhelmed the colours make him feel.
Its one of my favourites.
@@christopherbennett5858 lol how? This movie is fantastic and needs more love! One of Del Toro’s best incredibly so!
@@Gadget-Walkmen He’s had head injuries and was recovering from a mini stroke at the time. Maybe it was that.
@@christopherbennett5858 sure that could be the thing, this movie is fantastic as a whole tho! Love it so much!
@@Gadget-Walkmen definitely. One of my favourites
obviously this isn't something you're very focused on, but the costumes in Crimson Peak are AMAZING. They have so much thought and meaning into them, and the whole butterfly and moth comparison with Edith and Lucille is so good. I think you did this movie justice, it's my personal favorite despite not loving most horror movies. I think it really captures the feeling of telling a ghost story around a camp fire with friends.
YES! Both the costumes and the design are so well-thought and just so beautiful in every aspect, that it makes this movie go up my rankings with ease. Just recently I re-watched it and then after Nightmare Lane, and oh boy, Del Toro has one HELL of a visual talent!
I appreciated the misdirection of Edith and the audience suspecting that the pair weren't actually siblings but instead husband and wife. Then Lucille revealing that in spite of their romantic relationship they were indeed brother and sister.
The design of the ghosts in this movie genuinely gave me the creeps. I watched both Crimson Peak and Mamma in theaters. Best horror movie experiences I've had.
Love Crimson Peak but the ghost in Mama just looked like a cartoon to me
@@kazamaxi Disagree massively as the ghost in MAMA looked terrifying entirely so!
@@Gadget-Walkmen until you get to see it
@@kazamaxi Intill you STILL see it's still scary, not at all a "cartoon".
@@Gadget-Walkmen 😂
Del Toro really has the most stylistic and creative ideas ever.
For a long time I thought the reveal of the siblings being con artists rubbed me the wrong way, but now I think that was the point. As scary as ghosts and haunting are, the real horror will always come from the people around you first.
I easily guessed the incest part but I wrongly assumed they were also vampires due to the poster ans the palette
Man I love this movie so much. The story is UGLY, but it's visuals are so beautiful. The contrast gives me happy brain chemicals. And Edith with her hair down, with blood staining her hands while the red clay stains her white gown is such a powerful sight for me. I don't know how to break it down and explain why tho, which is frustrating as heck 😆
It’s the beauty of the macabre.
I don’t understand why you say the story is “ugly”? Ugly, how? In a good way? Because there’s nothing wrong with the story as it’s fantastically well told and made!
@@Gadget-Walkmen yes I mean ugly in a good way. I'm not criticizing its composition. But murder, incest, lies...those are all ugly things. And this movie makes something beautiful out of it all.
@@ltleflrt that’s true, yeah fair enough and that makes sense. This movie is fantastic and incredible as a whole tho! Love this movie so much!
What happened was Universal Studios marketed it as a horror film--it *does* have horror elements--instead of a Gothic horror as Guillermo intended. I think what makes this film different is that the house itself is a character
If more Hiddleston wouldn't be an issue, Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive" is one my favourite movies. Where in a way nothing happens but still manages to be immensely captivating with its musings on arts, science and life.
This! It's amazing that not a lot of people know about that movie.
Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as immortal vampire lovers? Why in the everloving FUCK have I not heard of this movie????
@@cousinmajin It made good impression around festivals, but as a lot of those movies it did horribly with general audience. It was on Netflix for a hot minuite but then it I think got taken off for w/e reason, at least here in UK.
Love this movie. Adam and Eve are not your typical vampires. I love Eve's fascination with all things. Highly recommend.
honestly that film was ass but Tom Hiddleston + Tilda Swinton + vampires = hot as fuck so enjoyed it hella
I really liked the motif they had going with the butterfly that eats other butterflies and the costuming the two ladies had during the final confrontation. Their flowing dresses giving them "wings" as they run was a nice touch.
I remember seeing this with my friends, and them not liking it bc they were expecting a traditional horror movie (I blame marketing) but i remembered in the beginning when she said it “wasn’t a ghost story, but a story with ghosts in it.” The ghosts serve as warnings, not enemies, and if you weren’t expecting a gothic horror love story going in, you were likely underwhelmed
My parents & I were all supposed to see Crimson Peak together, but my mom ended up being too sick to go. I brought a notebook with me, and during a post-movie dinner at Applebee's, I wrote every major detail of the plot (in red ink) so I could tell her all about it the next day. I was happy to do this for her because she was the whole reason I got into horror in the first place, and then she finally got to see it for herself on VOD a couple months later. I still have the pages. ♥
That’s so nice ☺️ my mom also got me into horror, and I always enjoyed watching them together growing up ♥️
I can’t help but be reminded of that “Haunted Mansion” remake that Del Toro was supposed to do for Disney. I guess this was a pretty good approximation. Del Toro is the king of unrealized projects. He works on so many different projects at once, but hardly any of them ever get made. I would have loved to have seen his collaboration with Charlie Kaufman on “Slaughterhouse Five”, or maybe even what his own version of “The Hobbit” could have been.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who sees that in this movie as well. I'm pretty sure some of the material in this was from that project.
I’m on the verge of crying when I think how close we were to “Guillermo Del Toro’s Hobbit” versus what we got
@@Demi_Purple The one that gets me is the cancellation of "Silent Hills", but that wasn't even his own doing. That was all on Konami.
@@Tina_95 This is the version of that script that Disney would never green light.
I want the new haunted mansion, I adore the first live action film but it’s more funny than spooky. I want a genuinely creepy haunted mansion movie..
The main thing I remember from seeing Crimson Peak was my dad (a geotechnical engineer) saying he was snapped out of the film because there are no red clay deposits in that part of Cumbria. Gorgeous film though!
This is a film I highly recommend people get the Blu-ray for because the special features for this film are incredible. When Edith is being poisoned and becomes weaker and weaker, she is swallowed by furniture that was made slightly larger than usual to emphasize her declining health. The entire interior set was built as a 3 story structure on a soundstage. The costuming made Edith and Lucille’s costumes reflect both Butterfly and Moth symbolism to give further weight to Lucille’s scene in the start of the film where she talks about butterflies and the moths that devour them. To that point Edith’s outfits often have large puffy shoulders to mimic a pair of butterfly wings, and some of Lucille’s dresses even have Moth details embroidered on them. Not even to mention the use of colour symbolism in this movie, the more I watch the more I fall in love with this movie and the passion Guillermo Del Toro has for filmmaking.
This movie was instantly nostalgic for me, calling back to Corman’s “House of Usher” and “Masque of the Red Death,” two films I grew up watching on late night television. I loved the ghosts, the aesthetics, and the love story. It’s a shame this one isn’t better regarded.
It too reminds me of the Poe Cycle films, There's such an emphasis on color in those films, its hard not to draw a parallel to those.
Is like the Phantom Manor unofficial movie adaptation
This movie actually reminded me a lot of Sleepy Hollow, given the period, the colors and the amount of blood splashing lol.
I did really enjoy it. Yeah the mistery is not too complicated but the mood is excellent.
I like that comparison
I wish we had more gothic horrors come out. It seems like we get one every 8 years or something.
I'm so happy you're giving this movie your typical, thoughtful look-through. It's such an underrated gem from Del Toro, I hope this video convinces more people to watch it!
Excellent Review!! Ya know the film was based on an actual social Debutant from the Northeast stolen away to a dilapidated estate in Europe and horrifically abused til she escaped! It's a great true story you should look into
I saw this movie in theatres in 2015 and have been in love with it ever since! I believe it's an understated retelling of the classic fairytale Bluebeard, where a young woman marries an older Baron that she knows nothing about and goes to live with him alone in his family home only to find the dismembered bodies of his former wives in a room she was told to never enter. The way I interpreted the ending was that Thomas was able to move on, evaporating away and leaving Crimson Peak behind while Lucille must endure her greatest fear for eternity. Being abandoned in that sinking house.
I was sad how people were upset with this film because it is a gothic love story. I also Loved how Del Toro subtly changed the size of furniture to reflect certain events.
The freaking ghosts, man. If there's something about this movie I'll definitely remember, it'll be that crimson ghost.
Yes, I was one of the “horny marvel fans” when I came to see it. However, the plot and cast really did sell this world and movie in a way that makes it one of my favorites. The ways I can tell intricate backstories, read into every character interaction, see new ways the characters develops one each and every viewing, it’s astounding. Even the direct parallel’s of Edith’s book and the story itself come across in a way that enhances the experience, instead of in other stories where it feels we’re being talked down to. And the story Lucille gives about her dead child does make you sympathize, but not forgive her. She’s batshit crazy, and the movie itself doesn’t let you forget it. Thomas’s actions- or deliberate non-action- are the afterdeck’s of a very controlling relationship from his very damaged sister, and if you read Del Toro’s backstories for these characters you see he never had a chance. He does love Edith on some level, but even when he betrays Lucille you see his heart still goes back to her. He still wants her happiness, even when it will cost him his own. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy, and it’s beautiful.
Haha same I'm a huge fan of Tom and went to see the movie mostly for him. But the movie truly surprised me and made me even a bigger Del Toro fan, everything about this movie is beautiful and tragic.
Yeah I saw this with a group of women from my grad cohort and most of them loved the Hiddle-butt and liked the movie. I think the movie's not quite as scary (or even violent) as some of his other movies. Like, I know Ryan thought it was a lot here, but compared to something like The Devil's Backbone or even The Orphanage it's not quite as visceral or frightening. I like the movie but not as much as some of his other stuff
@@merchantfan compared to the collector and insidious, this was a cake walk. I think what Ryan was getting at here was that the violence was so violent compared to the Victorian elegance that it was contrasted with. It’s like it’s the for the first half of pride and prejudice you’re watching “pride and prejudice” and then all of a sudden halfway through becomes “p&p with zombies” you know?
(And we all appreciated the Hiddle-butt🤤
Same here! I came into this movie just watching it for Tom but than realizing Mia was in movie as Im a big fan of the Burton Alice films! its so beautifully tragic. I am not one to watch horror movies often (or gothic movies in general) but I was so entranced that the scares got me a few times. I genuinely felt bad for both Thomas and Edith in the end, despite dubious motives from the latter.
I am also a Hiddleston fan, but I loved the idea of an old fashioned horror story. This movie wasn’t quite that, but it was delightfully creepy - not getting its horror from jump scares or an undefined monster. The people and the imagery provide the creepiness and the lead actors were all excellent in the roles.
I adore this movie, Del Toro makes the house a living thing, it bleeds and breathes with the clay running down the walls and the wind blowing through the cracks. The ghosts are grotesque and distorted to reflect their agony, that one that drags itself out of the floor screaming has always left me spellbound, whenever I watch the movie and get to that part I play it over and over again. I also appreciate the attention to detail in the clothing, Edith wears bright colours and the Sharpes dress in blacks and dark, dark blues, reflecting the butterflies and moths respectively. I adore this movie and all the symbolism and work that Del Toro put into it.
I love this movie. The aesthetics are perfect, as always with Del Toro. The story is easy to follow and the payoff is good- the beauty in contrast with the violence is my favourite thing to see. The costume department did it amazing in particular- the costumes stain in blood beautifully, and give the characters a ghostly look, with the bright red of danger. I never get tired of it.
I watched this in the theater with a buddy, who was disappointed with it. He said that he wanted a straight-up horror movie. "Dude, they told you at the beginning; this isn't a ghost story, this is a story with a ghost."
I wish this movie had gotten more love when it first came out. It was marketed as pure horror, but it had so much more depth than I was expecting. I had just graduated from college at the time and one of my last classes was on gothic literature. And boy howdy, I was amazed by the themes Del Toro used. My Literature Major heart was lifted~
To this day I still describe this movie as del Toro's "What if 'The Fall of the House of Usher' but make it a romance?"
Perfection!
Del toro’s movies are all so fantastic and amazing well done! Love his films so much!
This is honestly my second favorite Guillermo del Toro film. I'm a huge fan of Gothic horror. Not to mention that the ghost designs were fantastic. I love the decision of making them different colors depending on the state of how they died. The main cast did a great job too. The story in itself isn't that groundbreaking I admit, pretty predictable but it was executed very well. I think it gets harped on because of the marketing. People were probably expecting a straight up horror film instead of a dark Gothic romance with horror elements.
What’s your first favorite?
@@Demi_Purple Pan's Labyrinth. Though I still need to watch Cronos and Devil's Backbone. So as of right now Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite followed by Crimson Peak as my second.
@@marianneguevara8279 mine too! Although I can only watch it every now and then cause it’s so emotionally heavy 😭
May I recommend Bitesized Audio for some fantastic forgotten Victorian horror stories. Really superb voice acting.
I really love the costumes in this movie. The dresses especially are so grand, stylish, and flowy they really give this elegance that matches with the wispy terror the ghosts give off.
Seriously, hats off to the production design & costume design teams. This movie is like a beautiful illustration.
I'm something of a genre fiend, and I love that Guillermo Del Toro had the willingness (and the clout) to present what is an absolutely classic traditional honest-to-Ann-Radcliffe Gothic romance in the style of 'The Castle of Otranto' or 'The Mysteries of Udolpho'.
The degree to which it leans unwaveringly into the genre without attempting to modernize the storytelling is admirable and may account for why you found it a little predictable and why many audience, hoping for a more modern approach to horror cinema, found it disappointing.
It's an elegant pastiche of a style of literature that's centuries out of fashion and gods bless Sr.Del Toro for presenting us with such a marvelous gem.
It's a very beautiful movie. Like as someone who's very amateur about movie related technical stuff, even i appreciate how beautiful and atmospheric this movie is
I wish this movie had gotten more love when it came out, it's both beautiful and brutal. Gorgeous decaying old manor full of absolutely frightening looking spirits, a sweeping romance and undercurrent of mystery and suspense. It's SO GOOD and so underrated. Happy to see you covering it, and hearing your thoughts on it.
the set design of this movie is just mind blowing
I love seeing all the behind the scenes of this movie and even the little details on the walls and everything that are sometimes not shown in the movie
This films is soo gorgeously gothic. The house is a character in itself and the costume designs ugh the detail stunning. I have to agree though It should’ve been marketed more in terms of a thriller spectacle more than a horror relying on the ghosts and only one or two jump-scares to market it. If it had taken a thriller style trailer I reckon maybe it would’ve been more popular.
That point you made about how the beauty makes the violence more shocking is so good. I always love a good horror movie with lots of color
I genuinely love Crimson Peak and a cure for wellness. They were my first horrors that weren't anime, manga or creepy pasta reading on youtube. Those two are really what really got me to explore the genre. Sucks that they aren't well liked. :/
I loved the movie. It’s a gothic romance with supernatural elements, and unfortunately it was marketed as a horror movie.
this film's atmosphere oozes out of every shot and that's honestly what makes it so engrossing. It's a pure distillation of the various flavors of the Gothic novel genre into a single aesthetic. Reminds me of Porphyria's Lover, The Yellow Wallpaper, A Rose for Emily, Ligeia, and Medusa's Coil all at once.
This is one of my favorite Del Toro movies, the details are just everything. The fact that the ghosts aren’t malicious beings but instead act as warnings to Edith from the get go, the de-evolution of Edith’s dresses and mirroring her own changes throughout the film, and the moth + butterfly symbolism being some of my favorites.
For anyone who likes this movie and hasn’t already, I’d highly suggest checking out the companion book that talks about the behind the scenes and gives so much commentary on the film!
I watched this movie when I was in high school and it became my favorite movie that year. It’s definitely in my top 100 favorite movies list. You’re right about the scary part, I didn’t expect it at first and didn’t like the horror part but I love it. Awesome video.
It reminded me a lot of Corpse Bride. Marriage with ulterior motives, gender expectations, old money versus new money, butterfly imagery, even down to (spoilers) the "other woman" playing the piano for her unrequited love as a corpse.
I love it when stories like this implement ghost in other ways than just being these horrifying creatures from a realm of evil. They genuinely just add to the creepy ambience in the story and are used to street us closer to what’s actually going on.
Even when del Toro's movies aren't totally on the mark, I love how all in his style is for every genre he tackles.
Disagree as most of movies are spot on on what they're trying to do on the aim of the mark of each film! Most of his films are incredibly fantastic!
This movie was great to watch. Bad marketing is what ruined the movie for some people. It was advertised as a horror film, when it's actually suspense thriller
Would love to see an in depth look at the "forgotten" haunted house classic The Changeling from 1980, starring George C Scott.
One of my absolute favorites.
One thing I like to point out about Guillermo's movies is that they always have a lingering theme of loss in them.
Hollywood cinema, more often than not, deals with the restoration of the status quo. Its about a normality confronted by a disrupting element and the whole plot deals with the search for the reinstallation of said normality. "E.T", for example, its about an extraterrestial and his friendship with a human child, yes. But he also plays the part of a "family consuelor" that gets the whole family together again at the end of the film. The themes of separation, divorce, family disruption are never touched upon but as a menace of the american values.
Guillermo's films reject this idea, the characters always change, sooner or later, and their world gets shattered at the end of the film. For better or for worse. That's a characteristic that comes exclusively from a non-american director. That's what I urge to americans to do: to watch (not only "see" or "consume") more foreign cinema. The search for the eternal cycle of the reinstallment of the status quo is not healthy, everybody needs to share more challenging ideas.
And there's NOTHING wrong with "the restoration of the status quo" as long as it's done in a morally right and healthy way that ET provides as well. The whole point of the themes of "separation, divorce, family disruption" are there in ET to have an obstacle for the family to go against in the film and overcome to be stronger than ever and it's provided in a healthy manner as you WANTED the family to stick together despite the father figure leaving the family. So that movie also has this "theme of loss" as a father leaving his family is a BIG deal and not something that'a ever fixed in the film as the dad doesn't come back and it DOES effect the characters. Those 3 things are a menace to ANY family, not simply "american values" and it's a stretch to thing that it's just that.
Del Toro's films deal with some things, Spielberg's movies deal with another, you can't compare them and expect every movie to be the same because they really shouldn't all be the same as the diversity of themes in film are a strength as both how ET and Crimson Peak handles their movies are fantastically well done!
Such an underrated gem! Although I interpreted the ending screen splash as the entire movie was Edith’s book- a fictitious love story that happened to involve ghosts
The way the film looks just reminds me of late 90s early 2000s supernatural movies so much and I love those movies like Gothika, Grudge and The Haunting
I’d love an analysis of Stake Land. I prefer the first over the second, but the idea of vampire infested world instead of the run of the mill zombie apocalypse was really engaging to me.
Great film. Very underrated.
This is my all time favourite movie. I saw it originally because in 2015 I was a total Tom Hiddleston fan girl and truly just wanted to watch him in a romantic role, but I got so much more than I bargained for. For anyone interested, the novelization by Nancy Holder is also excellent, the audiobook even more so.
Crimson Peak reminds me a great deal of Victorian dime novels and the debauched, mostly fictionalized stories from early tabloids. There truly is some wild, spicy stuff in those old stories, and I like Edith as a character, one who’s allowed to be an intellectual, a naive romantic, and a resilient “final girl” character in equal measure. And as a lover of dress history, the costuming of the film is exquisite. Also the practical effects on some of the ghosts are really well done, so I love that as well.
It’s certainly not a perfect film, far from it, but it has elements that are done very well, and I enjoy those a great deal.
For all the beautifully rendered ghosts, the best moment for me was Lucille slowly grinding her spoon on the bowl of porridge while feeding Edith which I found hilariously camp.
I'm not lying when I saw this is my favorite movie from Guillermo Del Toro. The cinematography is beautiful along with the score and the acting as well (especially Tom Hiddleston😍). It's a shame the movie wasn't received well, I went to see it with my mom at a midnight premiere and we both loved it of course! People should've given it a chance. It's beautifully done! I live to say that it's a tragic love story with a very hidden backstory.
I love this movie. It's easily one of if not my favorite ghost story and gothic horror, as Del Toro really indulges in that late Victorian aesthetic that as you said contrasts with the violence and gore that end up on display. The romantic connection between Edith and Thomas is so compelling and I was devastated when he died as despite conspiring with his sister to manipulate Edith, he wasnt a bad person. He was manipulated by Lucille just as much as Edith was by both of them.
Also, thank you Guillermo for casting Tom Hiddleston as Thomas instead of Benadryl Cummerbund. The absolute WORST casting suggestion ever. The man is as charming and charismatic as soggy toast and can only ever seem to play his characters as disingenuous and cynical assholes.
I remember walking out of the movie and being disappointed because I thought I was going to see a horror movie. It was marketed as such, so it was what I thought I was getting and was not prepared for the gothic love story. Then I read about how the marketing team went overboard on the horror and underplayed the romance aspect. However, once I revisited it, I realized really how beautiful it was and it's honestly one of my favorite movies. It's so atmospheric and wonderful. A perfect gothic romance. I think it's very interesting that you thought they were ghosts or conarists. Interesting. So, Lucile killed both of their parents (their fathers death is revealed in the tie in novel, which is also really good; I normally don't like tie ins) and was the one who, took advantage of Thomas when they were children, which their mother found out about and why Lucile killed her. I really appreciated your review of the movie because I actually never thought about the fact that Edith is the heroine, the one that saves the day. Maybe I wasn't thinking about it enough, but you make a great point about not having Michael actually save the day.
As always, I would love to see a video on Ginger Snaps (there's a whole trilogy), the Fear Street trilogy, You Might Be The Killer and The Final Girls.
Not gonna lie, the moment I saw the black veiled ghost creepily touch Edith's shoulder with its creepy long fingers, I went"...is that Doug Jones playing a dead woman?"
One imdb check later, yes, it was Doug Jones playing a dead woman.
This is actually one of my favorite movies! I love the acting, the aesthetic and the hauntingly beautiful use of creepiness in the way that makes you feel on edge and not simply afraid of the next jumpscare!
Thank You!! Needed a break after watching the Gestapo Jan 6 edited reality show. Thanks for the palette cleanser
A Big good point of Crimson Peak is how close it is to classic gothic horror. The supernatural warning, the tragic love story, the big mansion, the eerie landscape. Horror surrounded by an ethereal beauty, harbouring a mistery.
I also didn't see the incest twist coming, my theories were that either Lucile is Thomas' adopted sibling (like Frankenstein and Elizabeth) who had some sinister backstory, or that there is some curse on the manor that requires young women as sacrifices to break the curse and stop the sinking (thinking Cabin in the Woods). IDK if the incest really adds to the story, they could have just been serial killers and the result would have been the same. However, what the film lacks in narrative nuance, it GREATLY makes up for it with its aesthetics and historical accuracy. I LOVE all of the dresses in this film, it took an era that's usually stylized for sex appeal and modernity and stuck with history i.e. the mutton leg sleeves, the clean updo hairstyles, etc.
I loved this movie so much I'm glad you covered it! I was afraid of watching it bc I'm usually VERY scared of paranormal movies, I don't like cheap jump scares and bad ghosts design either, but when they are well done I actually love them and don't mind getting scared sometimes. Fun fact (I guess): the actor, Javier Botet, that interpreted the ghost of Pamela, Enola and Margaret is the same actor as the demon in REC (which is when I saw him for the first time), and other great movies when they need someone that is 2 meters tall and very flexible, he's amazing.
That comment about Hunnam's acting is why I love Ryan
It’s not it’s own film but
The short Magnetic Rose from Katsuhiro Otomo’s anthology film Memories is something you’re really missing out on.
watched this movie with my sister one night a few months ago on a whim and we were both very pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed it. it really wasn’t like anything I’d seen before with its mix of romance, mystery and straight up horror. plus the surprisingly emotional element to it. i personally really like it :)
Still wish he got to do the Haunted Mansion instead of that most recent disaster that Disney did instead.
This was the movie that made Del Toro one of my favourite directors (though he was already halfway there with Pan's Labrynth). It was snubbed for production and costume design awards.
Also, I was 100% convinced before I saw it that the Sharpe's were vampires.
I really enjoyed this movie and how the colors having meaning throughout. I feel like this is such a beautiful movie. I know a lot of people might find it disappointing but I treasure it. It’s dark but has tragic love story which I enjoy.
I adore this movie. It scratched my gothic novel itch real well. Having modern creatives take up Bronte style stories makes me happy because this genre is so ripe for the pickings. Charlie Hunnam was a treat in this. I loved him in Nicholas Nickleby with Anne Hathaway so him being in a period film didn't bug me.
This is one of my favorite Del Toro films. It's just so visually stunning and I really like Edith and her surprising strength of will and the complexity of the siblings. They're full of a very human villainy.
One of Del Toro's best movies for me. I really liked it. Although it wasn't all that truly scary, the designs for the ghosts were really grotesque and cool. :)
I didn't get to see Crimson Peak until last year, and I've watched it three times since then, lol. It quickly became a favorite. The way Del Toro gets such great people in costuming and set design is matched by no one. I saw a video on the behind the scenes and hear they had the main hall of the house mimic Lucille's eye color, to symbolize how tied to it she is and just *chef's kiss*. You can dig and dig into the symbolism because Del Toro always serves up a feast of it if one is so inclined to look.
The costume design by Kate Hawley is out of this world. The gold and giant sleeves of Edith, the absurdly intricate gowns of Lucille, that are several decades out of fashion. Also they didn't shy away from the hats like modern movies so often do.
This is one of my favorite movies (my second-favorite del Toro after THE SHAPE OF WATER), and I'm so happy you covered it. Your theory of the film as a satire of early goth culture is really intriguing; I would read that article or watch that video. And since you mentioned NIGHTMARE ALLEY, I'd love to see you discuss that too, both 1947 and 2021 films. They're both noir, but I feel that of all the noirs I've seen, they're the closest to horror.
excellent review! I am curious if you've ever seen these mockumentary found footage movies:
Savageland
Horror In The High Desert
Skyman
highly recommend!
I can’t remember if you’ve ever done a video on The Terminator. People associate the series with action, but the original is a straight horror movie. He’s more like a robotic Michael Myers in that one.
Cameron said that Halloween really influenced it.
Couch Tomato did a great video about it.
Great take on this! I kind of dismissed the film the first time I watched it, as I was expecting something else, but the second time I really appreciated the characters and all the beautiful details! The Shape of Water is my favourite Del Toro film. I would be interested to see you cover that one.
i absolutely LOVE Crimson Peak!!! This video was awesome, Ryan.
i think my favorite piece of foreshadowing (you touched on it briefly) is the subtlety of Thomas and Lucille’s clothing. Edith and everyone else is wearing very modern, fashionable clothes (for the time period!) while the siblings wear very outdated and bygone style, a major faux pas, ESPECIALLY in the elite circles! an absolutely fantastic tiny detail you may not notice on your first watch!
HECK YES!!! I’ve been hoping you’d cover this, it’s one of my faves! 😍
I'd love you to review The Dark Backward with Judd Nelson and Bill Paxton. I haven't seen anyone review it yet
So glad you are coving Crimson Peak! I adore this movie for its acting, dialogue, costuming, character and set designs (soooo many practical effects!), and the sheer fact that I could enjoy it. I can't watch most horror movies because I get far too scared, but this was beautiful and is easily my favorite (gothic) horror movie.
The Sharpes mother killed in the tub with a butcher knife. Only the wives were poisoned thus far...? Then Ediths mother was of an illness or something. And her father's was seen.
I also was expecting more supernatural to the twist, maybe an Elizabeth Bathory plot where the siblings are actually unnaturally old and lure young women in so as to steal their vitality. But the plot as is allows alot more nuance to the characters. I spefically read the Thomas-Lucille relationship as a chain of abuse. Their parents abused them, and she in turn dominated and sexually abused him. Which gave his inner conflict and redemption some real weight, as while he absolutely murdered a bunch of women he was a victim as well. the whole thing played out the very Victorian themes of insecapable pasts and fate but with a much more modern and frank grounding.
This is by many accounts a very simple and known story, but it looks INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. Is not the type of look many films have and that alones is worth the watch. Plus, I also love the twist being so grounded, it really goes against your expectations specially when you remember how the film was marketed.
I saw this film in theaters and I remember thinking then how the advertising did a real disservice to what the film is. They hyped up the ghosts and “spooky house” aspect when the film almost feels like an early 20th century adaptation of some long-lost gothic novel.
Thanks so much for covering this! It's one of my favorites, particularly for the costume design mirroring the character development.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on different versions of older stories. I saw the 1931 Spanish version of Dracula, which has a really fun development history (shot on the same sets as Todd Browning's English language film! but after they were done shooting for the day!), and I was really impressed.
I would love to see your take on The Night House (2020)
I watched it very recently and was surprised at how engaged I found myself in the main character's situation, but I also don't know what to make of the film.
As someone who has been researching the Victorian era for over a decade, I love this film. It's a love story to all the books I love, from the 1800s to the 1980s. Good to see you again Ryan. Missed you.
This was one of the few movies were I saw the trailers, got really excited, patiently waited for it to finally come out and for once was not let down! It was just as good as I hoped it would be.
i watched all the way to the end of the video and through the spoilers and honestly i still wanna watch the actual film. it’s also good to know what kinda context is in there (incest, sudden intense violence) so i can be better prepared. thanks Ryan!
I will always love this film for the gorgeous imagery and horrific ghosts. I think growing up Mexican, I was specifically drawn to the “ghosts as warnings/clues/ tells”. Del toro used ghosts in a similar manner in Devils backbone as well.
Movie has a great story and plot/writing as well.
This is one of my favorite movies! The costumes are breathtaking and I love the trope of helpful ghosts that just want to keep you from making the same mistakes. ❤️