Mention the name Guillermo del Toro to a room of cinephiles and heads will likely turn. The Oscar-winning director has given us titles like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, and in 2022 the release of Nightmare Alley will add to his impressive collection of films.
If you’ve heard the buzz around Nightmare Alley and want to know more, here’s your guide to the film and what you can expect from it.
What is Nightmare Alley about?
Nightmare Alley is a remake of a 1947 film of the same title. The neo-noir psychological thriller is set in 1940s America and centres on Stanton Carlisle and his journey as he encounters a clairvoyant and her former-mentalist husband at a carnival.
The synopsis for the film reads as follows:
In Nightmare Alley, an ambitious carnival worker (Bradley Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is. A film by Guillermo del Toro.
Who is included in the cast and crew?
The cast for Nightmare Alley is pretty damn stacked. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen and David Strathairn make up the bulk of the cast.
As we covered earlier, Guillermo del Toro sits in the director’s chair here.
Just a few Oscars scattered amongst that bunch.
Nightmare Alley trailer
If you want to take a peek at this electric-looking film, you can check out the official trailer here.
What’s the Australian release date for the film?
Nightmare Alley has finally hit cinemas in Australia – the release date for the film was January 20, 2022.
Will the movie be worth my time?
With a lineup like this, it’s hardly surprising that the film is gaining Oscar’s buzz already. But what do the reviews say so far? Will this be one of the top movies of 2022?
Well, at present, the movie is sitting at 80 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. Very fresh, indeed.
Moira MacDonald of the Seattle Times wrote that “This Nightmare Alley is a gorgeous exercise in style and mood”.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said in his review that “Guillermo del Toro hits us with a spectacular noir melodrama boasting gruesomely enjoyable performances and freaky twists”.
Alternatively, Keva York of ABC News shared a different view, stating that “At 150 minutes, Nightmare Alley proves a stolid saga, absent much of the spark and, well, magic of del Toro’s finest work”.
Guess you’ll have to watch it for yourself to find out.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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