The first reviews for Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley call it a dark and violent thriller with Bradley Cooper giving a career-best performance. Nightmare Alley is based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham, which was previously adapted in 1947. The new film is an adaptation by del Toro and Kim Morgan, rather than a remake of the original film. Nightmare Alley stars Cooper in the Stan role, with supporting players including Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, and Richard Jenkins.
The original Nightmare Alley from 1947 starred Tyrone Power as Stanton 'Stan' Carlisle, a con man who starts to believe his own con when he gets mixed up with a carnival and the people within it, attempting to deceive his way to the top. Stan dives deeper into his own con as his relationships with other questionable characters lead to his ultimate downfall. The nightmarish tale has long been lauded, both as a novel and the original film, and is often considered one of the best examples of early noir.
Early reviews are now in for Nightmare Alley, which lean mostly positive, but with some reservations. Many are calling Bradley Cooper's performance Oscar-worthy, while others are saying he feels miscast. Similarly, Cate Blanchett is praised for her seductive performance, especially in her scenes with Cooper, but is also said to appear to be performing, rather than inhabiting the character. Del Toro's usual stylings are noted, with decadent and detailed production design, costumes, and atmosphere, although many have called out the length of the film as being bloated. The ending of the film appears to become more excessively violent and stripped down of its noir elements, but ultimately brings the character arcs full circle. Take a look at some review highlights below:
Sherri Linden, THR
"With a semi-playful nod to the 1945 film Detour and more than a few rain-drenched streets, Nightmare Alley pays tribute to noir. But it’s also its own dark snow globe, luminous and finely faceted, and one of del Toro’s most fluent features."
Pete Hammond, Deadline
"Cooper has one of his best roles here, not an easy one to play of this broken man who can’t seem to redeem himself, but he does exceptionally well, bringing far more depth and risk-taking than Power was allowed to display. Blanchett clearly was born for noir and as usual steals the show. Along with the cast the real star attraction is the brilliant and vibrant production design from Tamara Deverell and Dan Laustsen’s sumptuous cinematography. Luis Sequeira’s costumes are perfect in setting the style of the period, and Cameron McLaughlin’s editing is precise, even if this version runs 40 minutes longer than the original and could have used a bit more trimming in the second half."
David Ehrlich, Indiewire
"It’s such a thrill to watch Blanchett spar with Cooper during their characters’ private sessions — the shimmering art deco sets and constantly falling snow add a gothic menace straight out of “Batman Returns” — that del Toro might be forgiven for only allowing she and Mara to share a single uncanny scene, each of the actors kitted out in mid-century looks worthy of the “Carol” reunion."
JimmyO, JoBlo
"The film isn’t overtly violent for the first half, but as the cinematic conclusion comes closer, you’ll be shocked by some of the quick bouts of horrors that shade the final moments. If you are paying attention, you may even get a sense of where the story is heading. Even if there may be a slight bit of predictability here, it’s well worth the ride once you get there."
Peter Debruge, Variety
"Alternately conniving and seductive, the ensuing power dance between these two master manipulators [Cooper and Blanchett] puts “Nightmare Alley” right up there with “Sunset Boulevard” (with its sordid battle of the sexes), “There Will Be Blood” (where commerce clashes with religion) and other period studies of opposing forces. And true to the cynical essence of the noir genre, both sides are shown to be equally corrupt."
Marya E. Gates, The Playlist
"Bloated at nearly 140 minutes with Cooper clearly miscast in the lead, it struggles to maintain any urgency. Dreary and overly saturated with a CGI patina, this new take on “Nightmare Alley” adds more gore, and f-bombs to the source material, but ultimately remains emotionally inert and unclear exactly what it wants to say about these characters and the world they inhabit."
Robert Kojder, Flickering Myth
"Cate Blanchett is outstandingly icy and just as mischievous, but this is still Bradley Cooper’s show. He has a line in this movie so hauntingly and twistedly delivered in pitch-black gallows humor context; it transcends the performance from great to extraordinary. Even with a telegraphed ending, the road Nightmare Alley takes to get there is filled with uncertainty, suspense, exhilarating violence utilizing practical gore effects, and devilishly captivating mind games anchored by an ensemble down for every nasty detour."
Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
"Guillermo del Toro has made and will no doubt continue to make some of this generation’s most exciting and visionary fantasies, but in a rare misstep, this “Nightmare Alley” is a dead end."
Roger Moore, Movie Nation
"But del Toro has followed his Oscar-winning sci-fi with one of the best films of 2021. He’s created a lurid film noir that dazzles in its ambition and startles in its seductive ability to draw you in and make you invest in a story littered with a succession of unsavory characters, none more so than our amoral, “easy on the eyes” leading man, our tour guide into 'Nightmare Alley.'"
Tim Grierson, Screen Daily
"...del Toro often lets the genre trappings and lush production values overwhelm the narrative. As an exploration of an unrepentant schemer, Nightmare Alley doesn’t dig as deeply into Stanton’s twisted psyche as one would like, offering more of a superficial portrait of greed and moral rot. Likewise, Stanton’s flirtatious back-and-forth with Lilith, who is as much of a snake as he is, has plenty of overt pleasures, but not the powerful erotic pull that the best noirs provide."
It appears that Nightmare Alley fits well within del Toro's filmography, giving audiences his usual blend of hypnotic visuals and vibrant characters. For Cooper and Blanchett, it sounds like they will either be loved or loathed, depending on the viewer's sensibilities. The supporting cast appears to be a major benefit to the film, which looks to deviate from one setting to the next in a too-long format. While del Toro is making a noir adaptation, it also sounds as if he can't resist the urge to put the excessive violence and gore onscreen, even if it's not particularly needed.
Guillermo del Toro is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today, but his films do tend to divide, as they're so visually and atmospherically distinct. This can be said of most auteur filmmakers who have a very particular style, such as Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, etc. However, for those that seek out that specificity from certain filmmakers like del Toro, it sounds like Nightmare Alley will be exactly what his fans are looking for. Nightmare Alley opens in theaters on December 17.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
