I love Guillermo Del Toro.
Watching this yesterday, I found myself trying to find the right adjective for his work, and I came to “lush.”
Decadent is wrong; nothing he does is extraneous, unneeded, crass. Rich is close, but implies a sweetness or savoriness that’s again, not quite right.
Crimson Peak is a great expression of his style and ability; it’s lush. The costumes, dialogue, sets, story, violence: all of it is full, brimming over, so good you can’t get enough. This is a blood-soaked, gothic, romantic horrorshow, but not a horror movie. It has its moments of classic scare, but the terror permeating every scene, the wait, the anticipation, is what distinguishes Del Toro from others who wish they had half his skill in engaging an emotion.
Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain are particularly fantastic – but I won’t spoil anything by telling you why.
Once again, I want to stress that this isn’t a horror film. It’s a Del Toro film, much more about human horror and nastiness than that of cheap evil spirits or motivationless monsters. Don’t go expecting to jump out of your seat every ten seconds only to laugh at it. This is awesome storytelling, amazing visuals, and creepy, Mary Shelly-like gothic horror, meant to hold up a mirror instead of zoom in on the machete blade. Awesome, 9/10 would be creeped out again.