Nightmare Alley

To go underground, charismatic Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) joins a group of carnies. In addition to simple jobs, he meets psychic Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband, mentalist Pete (David Strathairn). From him, Stanton acquires very special knowledge that he uses years later to enrich himself in the fine New York society of the 1940s. Always at his side is Molly (Rooney Mara), who stands by him even when she doesn't approve of his decisions. For example, when Stanton decides to fleece the wealthy and unscrupulous tycoon Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins) with the help of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett). It's a seemingly watertight plan, but one in which the shrewd grifter overlooks who's really pulling the strings in the background...

With this film adaptation of William Lindsay Greshams 1946 novel "Nightmare Alley", Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro has created another minor masterpiece. Admittedly, the mixture of mystery thriller and film noir has some lengths at two and a half hours running time. But not only that these are made up for by a great ensemble, which you just love to watch. The director also succeeds in creating a very special atmosphere, in which one is literally drawn in from the first minute.

Even in the first half of the film, which takes place in the world of the fair, del Toro lets you immerse yourself in this parallel world, which has many facets to offer, through the set and camera work, but also through the music, lighting and color scheme. It's disturbing, familiar, threatening and fascinating all at once. In this environment, the story is built slowly, and this slowness never feels boring. Masterfully, del Toro allows his main character to become an unscrupulous con man whose rapid social rise must naturally be followed by a dramatic descent. That in itself is little surprising, but here it comes down to the "wie" - and that is really magnificently implemented.

"Nightmare Alley" is very exciting and thrilling in its own way. Above all, the film is a visual masterpiece that should definitely be seen on a big screen. If you like sophisticated entertainment cinema with a great cast and fascinating images, you should not miss this film. Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp