It is widely known that Guillermo del Toro adores a good ghost story. If one heads into the visionary filmmaker’s latest film, Crimson Peak, thinking you are going to be witnessing one, think again. The film that stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain is in fact spun from the yarn of classic gothic romances.
Wasikowska is Edith Cushing, a high society woman living in Buffalo, New York, who is trying to move beyond the tragic death of her mother when she was a child. She routinely sees the ghost of her mother, and she always comes with a warning… one she can’t quite understand. She finds a way out of this town when a British Baron named Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston) shows up seeking investors for his estate back home in England. Sharpe arrives with his sister Lucille (Chastain) and there’s something about the two that bothers Edith’s father. When he digs into their past, he mysteriously dies. Edith takes comfort in Thomas’ arms and the two marry, and head back to England with Lucille.
When arriving at the family homestead, there is lots to be creeped out about. The house appears to be haunted… or, does Edith just still see ghosts? Either way, the home (dubbed Crimson Peak because of the red clay that rises to the surface) has Edith slightly uneasy. Thomas keeps working on his machine that will suck the valuable clay out of the earth, and Edith and Lucille spend their days not doing much of anything. What’s that phrase about idle hands? That comes back to haunt Edith in many ways. There’s something up with this family, and she can’t put her finger on it.
Meanwhile, her childhood friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) is back in Buffalo and putting the pieces together. Unfortunately, they don’t add up. He is determined to save Edith, regardless of the cost.
Del Toro has a mastery of storytelling, there is no question. But in this case, it feels a little flat. Sure, this is not a horror film, but the audience is led to believe that there will be horrors seen and ghosts heard from. In fact, we see many a ghost, but if they were removed from this story, del Toro’s message and plot would be exactly the same. Why even introduce the ghosts if they serve no purpose to the story? That is just one of many questions that are raised watching Crimson Peak.
The cinematography and production design are spectacular, and we would not be surprised if the latter got an Oscar nomination. It is utterly gorgeous to look at and that is largely the big draw here. It is an epic tale, at least in terms of its set scope. Crimson Peak, the house, is a marvel of cinematic magic.
The cast is strong, particularly Wasikowska and Hiddleston. They make a charming pair, and del Toro was right to focus much of the tale on the two of them, as they’re the strongest spokes in this gothic romance wheel. But, Chastain, whom we normally adore, is completely miscast and spends much of her time overacting and trying to make up for dialogue her character is given that does not make much sense and does nothing to move the plot.
Then, there’s Hunnam. He could not be more miscast. He plays his turn of the 20th century doctor as if he came off of a Southern California beach surfing contest. We’re not entirely sure what movie he thinks he’s in, but it is all sorts of wrong.
Del Toro is a talented filmmaker, there is no question. It’s just that Crimson Peak relies heavily on looks and lacks substance.
Grade: B-