Film Review: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021): Director Guillermo del Toro Delivers an Intriguing Vision with Some Powerful Performances Throughout

Nightmare Alley Review

Nightmare Alley (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, Mark Povinelli, Peter MacNeill, Holt McCallany, Paul Anderson, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Jim Beaver, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson and David Hewlett.

When filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)’s new film, Nightmare Alley, first comes on to the movie screen, it automatically sets the tone for the graphic violence that will be on display throughout the entire picture. A dead body is dragged across the floor and a house goes up in flames. Despite the intensity the film offers, Nightmare Alley, is still, however, a unique vision that del Toro obviously put a lot of effort into, and it is based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1940’s book.

Bradley Cooper shows his versatility as an actor yet again in the film’s largely unlikable leading role. Cooper plays Stanton Carlisle, a conman/alcoholic who lives on the edge and the movie traces his life as everything that could go wrong does go wrong with devastating results at almost every turn.

Stanton ends up associating with an interesting set of characters at a carnival sideshow. Toni Collette is Zeena the Seer, a fortune teller who is married to alcoholic Pete (David Strathairn) and Rooney Mara is Molly, the resident beautiful but weird woman on board who will have sexual relations with Stanton during the course of the film. When Stanton escapes the hell world of the circus, he meets Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett in top form), a high rolling psychiatrist/hustler who teams up with Stanton to start making big bucks.

The movie really shows complexity, however, when Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) comes on screen. Jenkins’ wealthy character, Ezra Grindle, comes to depend on Stanton for information regarding a dead loved one. Both of these characters are desperate in the most simplistic definition of the word. Stanton wants to make money and Jenkins wants personal comfort. Their scenes together are among the best in the movie. We feel for Grindle thanks to Jenkins’ powerful work, but we also see him as the flawed man that he truly is. Cooper and Jenkins are phenomenal in their scenes together in the film.

Another solid performance here was from Mary Steenburgen as a judge’s wife, Mrs. Kimball, who has suffered a tremendous amount of tragedy in her life. Her son had passed away and she yearns to see him again. Steenburgen has always been a talented actress, but her work here is simply among the best she’s ever done. There is so much depth to the performance. When tragedy enters her life yet again, Steenburgen’s character makes a choice that will surely shock audiences.

Cooper and Blanchett have some terrific scenes together. They are given some therapeutic discussions in the movie which are expertly done. This movie never lets you get too comfortable and just when you think it’s heading one place, it ends up heading somewhere else. Cooper gets many powerhouse scenes throughout the film and the last shot of Cooper in the film is simply mesmerizing. Nobody can play down-and-out like Cooper can. Blanchett was born to play her role in this film, and it is impossible to look away whenever she’s on screen because we don’t know what her character will say or do next!

There are other stars in the supporting cast who put in solid turns such as Willem Dafoe and Ron Perlman. It is a rich cast that del Toro has assembled to tell one of the most highly sour film stories I’ve ever seen released around the holidays. There is very little to feel good about here except for a few moments when it seems that Cooper’s character could have the potential to escape a pre-determined fate.

Guillermo del Toro has delivered a well-made picture complete with many twists and turns. Whether or not you’re a del Toro fan will probably help one determine if this movie is up your “alley.” It’s very violent and very hard to watch due to the graphic images displayed throughout the film. However, you’ve never seen anything like this before. That’s for sure.

Nightmare Alley will leave audiences questioning whether or not a con man/murderer can find redemption in life and there are a lot of thought-provoking themes throughout the very dark film. It’s a good picture but one that is an acquired taste for sure.

Rating: 7/10

Leave your thoughts on this Nightmare Alley review and the film below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more film reviews can visit our Movie Review Page, our Movie Review Twitter Page, and our Movie Review Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.