Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley contains a Mimic easter egg of sorts, according to the film's production designer. The noir drama serves as the second feature film adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel of the same name, and focuses on an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people as he begins playing the part of a mentalist, only to hook up with a female psychiatrist who proves to be even more dangerous than he is. Upon its release, del Toro's adaptation received critical acclaim, being named one of the top films of the year by multiple organizations and garnering eight Critics Choice Awards nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film's production and performances by its ensemble cast, including Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, William Dafoe, and David Strathairn were all heavily praised as well.
Del Toro has become well known for his Academy Award-winning films Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, but the director has a rather long filmography that, over the course of his career, has benefited him a loyal and growing fanbase. Yet, del Toro is a director seeking to learn and expand his craft, and before his career really took off, he made the 1997 science fiction horror film, Mimic. Mimic, often regarded as his weakest directorial feature, was del Toro's first English-speaking film and though he admitted he was not fond of the production experience, he has continued to work with its team. In fact, Tamara Deverell, who served as the art director for Mimic, is a frequent collaborator of his, leading the production design behind his latest project.
/Film recently reported on Deverell's involvement with Nightmare Alley, where the production designer revealed that the film includes a Mimic easter egg in the form of a Jesus Saves neon sign. She reminisces on the production experience of Mimic and explains how excited she was to recreate something from that set. She adds that the way it fritzed and went off in the film was unplanned but that it reflects one of the main themes - that Stan might be beyond saving. Read Tamara Deverell's quote regarding the opportunity to make the Jesus Saves sign all over again below:
"The 'Jesus Saves' neon that we built was actually a little bit of an Easter egg. Years ago, I worked with Guillermo on a movie called 'Mimic.' We built that same cross, that same 'Jesus Saves,' very similar. It played where this priest is running away from the creature monster and falls with this big neon sign in the background. When Guillermo said, 'Let's do that sign again,' I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm designing and building that sign again.' It was fun to do it again."
Nightmare Alley offers a dark, painstakingly real look at carnival life and how scary it can actually be. A lot of the carnival elements are real for its time, which makes the sign from Mimic all the more pertinent, not just a fun inclusion from del Toro's past. Long-time fans of his, who appreciate the intricacy and attention to detail in his set pieces and production designs will enjoy knowing that it is there though.
Though Nightmare Alley presents Stan as being morally corrupt, he was still given opportunities to change his fate. The film foreshadows his demise more than once, although a tarot reading from Zeena seems to make it all the more clear. That hint at Stan's ultimate fate may solidify the film's conclusion, but perhaps another reveal comes early in the form of the sign, as it indicates Stan cannot be saved in the end. Compelled fans can make that judgement and find the Mimic easter egg for themselves by viewing Nightmare Alley in theaters.
Source: /Film