Review: Nightmare Alley is a solid scare for the holidays

Nightmare Alley is the latest film by Oscar winner and fishpeople advocate Guillermo del Toro, co-written for the screen by him and Kim Morgan, and starring Bradley Cooper. Just what tricks does the film have up its sleeve, and is it worth the nickel for entrance? Let’s get into it.

Starting with the obvious, the film has a great visual look. Del Toro goes heavy on the darkness and the contrast between light and shadow. Some people complain about never being able to see anything in his movies, but I didn’t feel too much of that in this film. It’s never so dark as to be confusing, and the lighting is a good fit for the themes the film is going for.

That grittiness is another plus for me. I like movies that don’t shy away from showing the depths to which humanity is capable of sinking, and this one qualifies. Bradley Cooper plays our leading man, who discovers how the carnival cons its patrons. He’s good, but I was more invested in the supporting cast: Willem Dafoe as the vaguely threatening barker, Toni Collette as the kindly flirtatious seer, David Strathairn as her drunk husband and magician, and more. These performances add an enjoyable layer of detail to the world.

The issues with Nightmare Alley

While the film has the actors and vibes to lure you in and keep you there, it has problems with the script. There are no huge holes in logic, but there are some things missing. For instance, once Bradley Cooper joins the circus, there is a lack of urgency. The first half of the movie is mostly set-up; he meets these characters and learns the tricks of the trade, which is fun, but at some point I started wondering, ‘What does the main character want? What is the ultimate goal? What is the big problem that has to be solved?’ The lack of clear direction in the story on initial viewing may leave some people glancing at their watches.

The movie tries to distract us with a love story. Bradley Cooper’s character has a budding romance with fellow carny Molly (Rooney Mara) in the first half. While there’s nothing glaringly wrong with this subplot, it doesn’t grab me emotionally or provide that sense of strong direction I felt missing in the first half. It’s just too bland; Bradley Cooper looks over and sees Molly, and he has that look on his face that says, “love interest of movie located.” It all feels a little perfunctory.

Another problem is that the movie telegraphs itself a bit too much. For instance, we see that David Strathairn’s character is a boozer, and frequently asks Dafoe for bottles of liquor. Later, when Dafoe is showing Cooper the ropes, he shows him two boxes containing identical-looking bottles of liquid. One box is full of bottles of sugar cane, and the other is deadly poison. Geez, sure would be a bummer if someone got them confused huh?

In fairness, it doesn’t go the super obvious route of someone haphazardly mixing them up. Still, I could tell something was going to happen, which ruins the fun. We see the big twist at the end coming too. I don’t say this to gloat about my awesome perception, just to express my disappointment.

Would I recommend you take a stroll down Nightmare Alley? I do. While the story might initially come off as a bit aimless, it’s entertaining. I definitely don’t think it reaches the height of some of del Toro’s earlier movies — this is certainly no Pan’s Labyrinth or The Shape of Water — but there’s some good stuff here.

So if you aren’t riding the Spider-Man hype train but still want a reason to hit up the movie theater, Nightmare Alley is a solid choice. Lord knows it could use the help considering its competition.

Grade: B

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