Box Office Review: Crimson Peak

When the director is Guillermo del Toro and the stars are Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska it's not at all odd to expect a quality cinematic adventure. Guillermo has a style that is completely unique for making movies. The color schemes are usually rich and the special effects are mesmerizing. He is truly a gifted individual when it comes to making film for the masses. On the other hand, his weakness is most often in dialogue and story. This is one area where he has an opportunity for improvement. 

"Crimson Peak" is no exception.

This movie had several wonderful moments but there were issues that reveal themselves later on in the film. The story felt choppy and several moments of concentrated screen time turned out to be a red herring once the 3rd act began. The audience was pulled in by the actors delivering their lines quite well and then it's discovered those lines weren't necessary for the actual plot. This was disheartening but not surprising. As early stated, dialogue in story telling is not del Toro's strongest talent.

Furthering the bizarre choice of what's important and whats a red herring we have Charlie Hunnam's character. It is no secret his role is important to the story because of the amount of screen time he enjoys. There is confusion regarding the reasons for why he is so hell bent on the decisions and actions he makes. A basic concept of his character seems to be all the writers decided was necessary for this movie which was confusing when his character has very important moments in the film. The writing staff certainly could've fleshed out his character more and made him fuller and more 3 dimensional.

Overall the actors each did a fine job playing their parts. This film was entertaining and certainly more dramatic than terrifying. In fact, there are more elements of romance than horror. This point is even spelled out for the audience early in the film with dialogue that expresses romance as a natural way to entice people to a specific story. However, that's where the clever writing ends, unfortunately. If the goal is to see a horror film this wouldn't be one that should be considered. If the goal, however, is to see a dramatic film with horror elements within it, then a ticket purchase would be appropriate. Guillermo does an incredible job with the special effects and the lighting and shadows throughout the entire film. It's worth the cost of a ticket just to experience his visual effects on the big screen. A matinee ticket which is cheaper would probably be the better choice though if the decision is made to see this film while in theaters.

"Crimson Peak" is in theaters now! I give this film 3 ghouls and goblins out of 5 since it's almost Halloween. It's spooky but more Disney's Haunted Mansion spooky. Stay calm, there are no singing ghosts but there are ghosts who apparently require a bath... you'll understand when you see it.

Comment below if you’ve already seen it and share your thoughts! Join in on the fun of movie watching and be sure to share this post with anyone who you feel would enjoy another Box Office Review.

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