Crimson Peak (2015)

After taking the night off last night to relax and work on my script for class, it was time to get back to some horror and check out a flick that caught my eye some time ago. With a few hours in place and needing a break from scripting, I sat down to watch the 2015 gothic horror Crimson Peak.

Plot/ 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.

I had been waiting some time to see this flick, and was excited to see it finally sitting on the shelves at Family Video. As a fan of Guillermo del Toro, I love the way he is able to capture stunning visuals no matter the storyline. While this is not a perfect film, and at times feels forced and disjointed, there are many aspects that made it both intriguing and entertaining. The artistic characteristics are top notch, with an amazing combination of architecture, costumes, cinematography, and stylized visuals that were both dark and vibrant. Unfortunately, the characters and performances were uneven and the overall storyline was somewhat cliché and predictable. In the end, this may not be the best movie in the del Toro catalog, but it is not the worst. If you enjoy gothic dramas with a touch of horror, give it a shot.