Stop me if you’ve heard a story about this before: a house with secrets. How about a handsome man with a dark past and a dangerous relationship with his sister? Murders for money? Or, an innocent young woman caught in the middle of it all?
If you grew tired reading the above clichés, “Crimson Peak” probably isn’t going to be for you as it treads these familiar grounds without any sort of subtlety. For those that don’t mind (and/or want to see Jessica Chastain in a more unhinged role), then you should probably check out a move that dwells in the familiar, but spins it well enough to produce a fun horror film worthy of your time.
Near the start of the 1900s, aspiring author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself falling for the seductions of Englishman Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). She’s whisked away to his mansion in England post-marriage after the uncomfortably brutal murder of her father, where its secrets are tended to by the relatively composed Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas’ sister. Cue ghosts, blood, an insane sister and red stuff everywhere.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: “Crimson Peak” is predictable. It’s easy to spot plot points from a mile away, even with a few clever attempts at hiding a few twists and turns, and it doesn’t do much to draw itself away from convention. It all culminates in an ending sequence that draws out for too long, and feels nearly all too familiar.
How the film plays with that convention is what make it a fun watch, however. Guillermo del Toro’s consistency with stylish special effects and monster designs add a great deal to the film, even if they’re not particularly in the realm of jump-scares – not a bad thing. The pained, wailing ghosts that reside in the walls not only come from the stuff of nightmares, but add a few breathless moments of suspense to their scenes.
The Sharpe’s house, serving as the film’s core setting, is believably alive and cold. The near-colorless gothic locale offers little hope or séance within its walls; its empty walls and red “flesh” a sharp contrast to Thomas’ upbeat description of the place upon first reveal in the movie. It’s a place you’d be comfortable not visiting, if the gaping hole in the roof was any indication.
“Peak” is at times a bit of an excitable film. It’s hurried pace as its eagerness to show you the next major plot point or moment of suspense becomes obvious once the movie flips to England. But it’s a system that’s handled well, given the sheer amount of secrets and ideas stuffed into two hours.
For someone who dabbles in villainy, it’s interesting to see Hiddleston play someone with a moral quandary. He handles the seduction and enticement of Edith well, and his character’s conflictions between love and loyalty are pronounced and believable, with nary a moment of hokeyness or eye-roll. Wasikowska’s Edith is a confident, yet scared young woman who wants to understand the monsters but struggles to do so out of fear. She doesn’t overact and provides the proper amount of desperation in her lines when the stakes are high.
And for someone who’s used to seeing Chastain in more composed roles, watching her as the unhinged, happiness-hating Lucille is going to be a surprise for most. It’s clear she’s having nothing more than a good time with the role though, as she carefully balances the personalities of a calm river and a waterfall that won’t hesitate to hurt you, with passive-aggressive lines carried through a playfully sharp accent and seething glares.
Charlie Hunnam’s takes as Dr. Alan McMichael are understandably short. A secondary love interest for Edith, his time is cut into short bits strewn across the movie that while smartly used as a break from the expedition of the main story, sacrifice a bit of character development over the film’s runtime.
“Crimson Peak” is rife with convention and basics, but presents them in a unique style that caters to horror and romance buffs alike. The characters are mostly fleshed out well, with Chastain stealing the show each time she glides onto the screen. The stylish, excited pace of the film works too, supported by proper set-pieces and monsters that fall within del Toro’s hallmarks. In the end, it’s something familiar, yet something new, that makes it worth watching.
Reach the reporter at damionjrohman@gmail.com or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter
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