Crimson Peak
Rent & Buy
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds… and remembers.
What critics thought
Del Toro's gothic romance is almost universally admired as a visual feast — the production design, color palette, and atmosphere drew consistent awe — but critics were sharply divided over whether any of it amounts to more than spectacular surface. Supporters saw the sincerity and craft as genuinely transporting; detractors found the story thin, the horror defanged, and the whole enterprise too in love with its own opulence to generate real dread.
“Its sombre sincerity and hypnotic, treasure-box beauty make Crimson Peak feel like a film out of time – but Del Toro, his cast and his crew carry it off without a single postmodern prod or smirk. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, along with its soul and most of its intestines.”
Robbie Collin·The Daily Telegraph
“Aflame with color and awash in symbolism, this undeniably ravishing yet ultimately disappointing haunted-house meller is all surface and no substance, sinking under the weight of its own self-importance into the sanguine muck below.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“It may be a little overwrought for some tastes, borderline camp at points, but if you're partial to a bit of Victorian romance with Hammer horror gloop and big, frilly night-gowns, GDT delivers an uncommon treat.”
Dan Jolin·Empire
“The film is too busy, and in some ways too gross, to sustain an effective atmosphere of dread. It tumbles into pastiche just when it should be swooning and sighing with earnest emotion.”
A.O. Scott·The New York Times
“Crimson Peak is a cobwebs-and-candelabras chamber piece that's so preoccupied with being visually stunning it forgets to be scary.”
Chris Nashawaty·Entertainment Weekly
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- moderate
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Romance, Drama
Cast & Crew
Guillermo del ToroDirector
Mia WasikowskaEdith Cushing
Jessica ChastainLady Lucille Sharpe
Tom HiddlestonSir Thomas Sharpe
Charlie HunnamDr. Alan McMichael
Jim BeaverCarter Cushing
Burn GormanHolly
Leslie HopeMrs. McMichael
Jonathan HydeOgilvie
Doug JonesEdith's Mother / Lady Sharpe
Bruce GrayFerguson
Emily CouttsEunice McMichael
Fernando VelázquezComposer
Matthew RobbinsWriter
Dan LaustsenCinematographyFrom the studio
Crimson Peak
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds… and remembers.
What critics thought
Del Toro's gothic romance is almost universally admired as a visual feast — the production design, color palette, and atmosphere drew consistent awe — but critics were sharply divided over whether any of it amounts to more than spectacular surface. Supporters saw the sincerity and craft as genuinely transporting; detractors found the story thin, the horror defanged, and the whole enterprise too in love with its own opulence to generate real dread.
“Its sombre sincerity and hypnotic, treasure-box beauty make Crimson Peak feel like a film out of time – but Del Toro, his cast and his crew carry it off without a single postmodern prod or smirk. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, along with its soul and most of its intestines.”
Robbie Collin·The Daily Telegraph
“Aflame with color and awash in symbolism, this undeniably ravishing yet ultimately disappointing haunted-house meller is all surface and no substance, sinking under the weight of its own self-importance into the sanguine muck below.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“It may be a little overwrought for some tastes, borderline camp at points, but if you're partial to a bit of Victorian romance with Hammer horror gloop and big, frilly night-gowns, GDT delivers an uncommon treat.”
Dan Jolin·Empire
“The film is too busy, and in some ways too gross, to sustain an effective atmosphere of dread. It tumbles into pastiche just when it should be swooning and sighing with earnest emotion.”
A.O. Scott·The New York Times
“Crimson Peak is a cobwebs-and-candelabras chamber piece that's so preoccupied with being visually stunning it forgets to be scary.”
Chris Nashawaty·Entertainment Weekly
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- moderate
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Romance, Drama
Cast & Crew
Guillermo del ToroDirectorMia WasikowskaEdith CushingJessica ChastainLady Lucille SharpeTom HiddlestonSir Thomas SharpeCharlie HunnamDr. Alan McMichaelJim BeaverCarter CushingBurn GormanHollyLeslie HopeMrs. McMichaelJonathan HydeOgilvieDoug JonesEdith's Mother / Lady SharpeBruce GrayFergusonEmily CouttsEunice McMichaelFernando VelázquezComposerMatthew RobbinsWriterDan LaustsenCinematographyFrom the studio
Rent & Buy