Nightmare Alley – Film Review

In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Guillermo del Toro is one of those filmmakers who almost everybody respects. Even if you don’t like his films (and there are a few of his I don’t like), you at least have to admire the man for stopping at nothing to showcase his full artistic style. Every time he has a creative vision, he won’t rest until that vision is realized, and the same thing can be said about his newest project Nightmare Alley, which is an adaptation of the 1946 novel of the same name, as well as a re-imagining of the 1947 film version directed by Edmund Goulding.

I have to admit, though, I was extremely skeptical before watching Nightmare Alley because of Del Toro’s previous film The Shape of Water which is, in my opinion, one of the most severely overrated films from the 2010s decade. Did that movie seriously deserve to win Best Picture? I don’t think so. It wasn’t an awful movie, but it’s still one that I dislike. It was a classic case of style over substance.

Can the same thing be said about Del Toro’s version of Nightmare Alley? Thankfully not. This is a beautifully realized story by Del Toro and one that is sure to leave you feeling deeply disturbed, confused, and dizzy by the time the end credits roll. Here, the acclaimed filmmaker holds no punches with the script he co-wrote with Kim Morgan, both knowing exactly how to tell a compelling story, but also one that doesn’t spoon-feed you answers.

One of the most annoying things in film is when a screenwriter thinks that the general moviegoer isn’t smart so they dumb down their script significantly. Sure, certain movies may be way too complex (see Christopher Nolan‘s Tenet for example), but oftentimes movies don’t need to be dumbed down because it leaves an enthralling puzzle for the audience to solve along the way. Del Toro understands this well. Nightmare Alley is a hugely confusing movie, but it’s also one that isn’t impossible to figure out. Del Toro and Morgan find the perfect balance along the way.

All of the performances here are stellar, as well. Bradley Cooper is marvelously charming in the role of Stanton Carlisle, but whenever the script requires him to be a bit creepy, Cooper is able to flip the switch and make it look easy. Cate Blanchett is incredibly mysterious and intimidating as Lilith Ritter, and the always fantastic Rooney Mara is yet again sublime as Mary Margaret Cahill.

Sadly, a lot of the actors whose presence in the film I was excited to see, were not in the film as much as I would’ve hoped. For example, Toni Collette is barely in this and yet she’s credited fairly high up on the cast list. The same thing can be said about Willem Dafoe, who is one of the most talked-about actors working today. Here, he gets reduced to a small role where he only has a few lines of dialogue. What gives?

But that still doesn’t take away from the fact that Nightmare Alley is a fantastic film as well as a perfect rebound for Del Toro after the aforementioned Shape of Water. It’s a film that is sure to get people talking after the credits roll. However, it’s a bit frustrating that so few people have even seen this movie.

With a budget of $60 million and grossing only $29.9 million, it’s safe to classify this film as a box office flop but it shouldn’t have been. In a world where so many films are made with money in mind, Del Toro has come along and blessed us with a film that dares to ask questions. It dares to be unforgiving and strange, and I’ll always champion these types of films. So, if you haven’t seen Nightmare Alley yet, give it a shot. It will certainly make you feel something by the time the credits roll.