Nightmare Alley (2021)
“People are desperate to tell you who they are.” – Pete.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Written by: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, David Strathairn
I believe the effectiveness of a neo-noir psychological thriller relies on two main facets – the creation of an immersive setting, and a genuinely surprising plot-twist. While Guillermo del Toro’s adaption of William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel Nightmare Alley flirts with satisfying both of these, a bloated runtime and disjointed final act left me wanting more.
In what is essentially a two-act story, the film follows Stan (Cooper), a mysterious man who joins a circus in 1940. Learning how to perform mentalism from fellow carnies Zeena (Collette) and Pete (Strathairn), Stan becomes attached to fellow performer Molly (Mara) and they soon dream of achieving bigger things. If you want an overly simplistic cinematic comparison, the first act is like a much darker version of The Greatest Showman (but with plot and character development…rather than silly songs), and the second act is similar to The Prestige.
First let’s talk about the good stuff. The source material is clearly fantastic, with the underlying symbolism of the film summarised by a single line in the film: “People are desperate to tell you who they are”. Stan spends the majority of the film ‘reading people,’ picking up on seemingly imperceptible tells and observances to manipulate the people in his orbit. However, conversely, he spends the film searching for his own identity, his own personality, with his motives shrouded in mystery. This makes for a fun game of cat-and-mouse with the audience, as WE spend the film trying to read the enigmatic Stan. Cooper and Blanchett shine as neo-noir leads, exuding equal parts intelligence, intrigue and sex appeal. I also really enjoyed the carnival setting of the first act – it was well paced and sucks you into the spooky carnie atmosphere. However, once the film transitioned to the second act, some serious cracks appeared.
First and foremost… at a runtime of 150 minutes it’s just too damn long. The second half drags, with slower pacing and not enough satisfying twists to hold your attention. This is compounded by an underwhelming conclusion, with the ‘big reveal’ more of a fizzer than a firecracker.
With fantastic performances and gorgeous set pieces, this is still worth a watch, but it feels more like unfulfilled potential than a finished product.
Rating: 7/10