I must admit that I haven’t seen a Guillermo Del Toro film before this gothic romance, Crimson Peak. I remember seeing trailers and clips of his other horror film, Pan’s Labyrinth and thinking that it was stunningly horrific, just from the trailers! He has had his fingers as a producer in other films I have seen like Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2 but nothing that del Toro has directed. Crimson Peak caught my eye because, let’s face it, I’m a sucker for a good gothic romance story and this one was right up my alley.
Guillermo del Toro wanted this film to be a throwback. He noticed that there was lots of B rated and found footage films coming out during this time, a few years ago, and wanted to pay homage to the classic haunted house type of film. Not only did he want to create a throwback piece but he also wanted to add a bit of modern flair to it as well. This film received mostly positive reviews due to the stunning cinematography and the ode to the gothic genre.
This was a great film to watch right after Suspiria because it is another visually stunning film. Both films used stark contrast of colors to convey a certain feeling. For Suspiria, it was trying to convey fear by emphasizing the color red whereas Crimson Peak was trying to convey the feeling of dread by emphasizing the color black. The storyline is also what grabbed my attention. The classic storyline of a mysterious man comes in town and marries the prettiest and smartest girl in town, who happens to be rich. It’s the old “marry and murder” scheme and add ghosts to that storyline and it’s a recipe for a good haunted house tale. If you couldn’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this film but I do have a soft spot for good gothic romances.
Stay tuned for tomorrow when I review the 1961 classic, The Pit and the Pendulum. Weekly Video review is coming soon so keep your eyes open for that! Until then, stay spooky, my friends.
31 Horror Movies in 31 Days 