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It’s still unclear when or even if we’ll get another Hellboy or Pacific Rim, but none of that matters at the moment because Guillermo del Toro‘s newest feature, Crimson Peak, is in theaters now. If you’re a fan of lush environments, whimsical narratives, and creatures ranging from grotesque to opulent (or if you just like movies), then tickets thou shalt buy.
Starting his feature film career with 1993’s Cronos (it’s part of the Criterion Collection and if you don’t have it you are being judged), del Toro has made a career of blending the edges of fantasy, horror, action, and drama. Ghoulish elements — vampires, ghosts, monsters — usually pervade all of GDT’s work, but even in the most horrific threads of his films lies a childlike innocence. Before he was an auteur, del Toro worked in makeup, and the experience shows in all of the creature creations permeating his films. (For a great example of this, check out the amazing monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth.)
Del Toro claims that he’s going back to smaller films soon as he’s tired of the big-budget features. Whatever route he takes, you can rest assured that the Mexican writer-director will never abandon his love for redeemable heroes and magnificent morbidities.
