NIGHTMARE ALLEY

A remake of the 1947 noir sharing the same name, NIGHTMARE ALLEY is Guillermo del Toro's homage to the genre. Full disclosure, I've never seen the original film nor am I at all a fan of Guillermo del Toro's but this is by far his best film! Powerful performances from Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, the story follows mentalist Stanton Carlisle (Cooper), working his way on to a traveling carnie show while learning the tips and tricks of it all. He meets and falls in love with Molly (Rooney Mara) and they soon leave the festival for venues more "worthy of their talents." Skimming the wealthy out of their money, Stanton's never had it better while Molly feels stale and apologetic about their newfound grifting style. Stanton and Molly have a rule where they will not perform private sessions; however, during one of their shows, Stanton is too tempted by the lure of a big payday to turn it down. Going against Molly's advise, Stanton gets in too deep with psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), a local judge, and his local businessman friend. An incredibly engaging story that had me hooked from the very onset and while the film is 2 hours 30 minutes and is a slow burn, I still found myself wanting more. I would highly recommend seeking this out! 8/10