Wait, so this isn’t about menstruation?!?
Oh, Guillermo…
I’m in the middle of a mini del Toro season, watching the last couple of films I haven’t seen of his. I’m quite glad I missed CRIMSON PEAK back in 2015 – a frankly dull gothic horror that seems really misguided at what it’s trying to do and who its for. Is it for young adults? If so, why does it seem to be written for old people? It’s horror for grannies.
I’ll say one thing about del Toro though – he really does understand the Spielbergian power of ‘less is more’. There are a couple of frankly terrifying shots of dead things peering out from doorways and shadows; just the right amount of creepiness. It makes me wonder what he could do with a full-on horror film – something I think he’s got closeto in the past, but always seems to hold back from going in with two feet.
More than anything, I think the one thing that I disliked the most about this film is its truly unlikable main cast. Tom Hiddleston is great in a supporting role such as Loki in the MCU, where he can trade snarky comments with the heroic types he shares scenes with. But he’s so bland and unpleasant in a leading role, it really sours the film around him. I have a similar reaction to Jessica Chastain; she’s great in some roles, but there’s just something about her that I find hard to connect it. And really, is anybody ever ranking the best films of Mia Wasikowska? She was great in 2013’s TRACKS, a little-seen one-hander about a solo-trip across the Australian desert, but I don’t recall seeing her in any of the 12 or 13 films that appear at the top of her filmography. An instantly forgettable presence. But don’t worry, we have Charlie Hunnam – the king of nameless, faceless actors – here to save the day.
Nice soundtrack score by Fernando Velázquez though. Solid work. This first-time-on-vinyl pressing by Waxwork Records is the second of their 2023 subscription titles, and is by far the one title I was looking forward to the least from them (this film doesn’t hold a flickering candle to the other titles in this year’s subscription: Winner’s THE SENTINEL, Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD, Hooper’s THE FUNHOUSE, De Palma’s BODY DOUBLE and Fincher’s SE7EN). The artwork on this release, by Jérémy Pailler is stunningly beautiful, and I got far more out of as a piece of art than del Toro’s wasted film.
Hit: Edith’s Theme
Hidden Gem: Buffalo
Vinyl Stylus 