Nightmare Alley

"Man or beast."

2021 2h 31m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 3,512

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.

“Man or beast.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Bradley Cooper
Stanton Carlisle
Cate Blanchett
Dr. Lilith Ritter
Toni Collette
Zeena the Seer
Willem Dafoe
Clem Hoatley
Richard Jenkins
Ezra Grindle
Rooney Mara
Molly Cahill
Ron Perlman
Bruno
Mary Steenburgen
Mrs. Kimball

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 66% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, shot by Dan Laustsen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nathan Johnson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Cam McLauchlin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Guillermo del Toro directs. Dan Laustsen behind the camera. Nathan Johnson scores. Cam McLauchlin cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
3Earned back only 66% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
4Released 5 years ago.
5Directed by Guillermo del Toro, shot by Dan Laustsen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Nathan Johnson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Cam McLauchlin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Man or beast.".
10IMDB entry: tt7740496 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 22 themes, including "infidelity", "based on novel or book", "love triangle", "tarot cards".

The technical file

Cinematography: Dan Laustsen
Original score: Nathan Johnson
Editing: Cam McLauchlin
Production design: Tamara Deverell
Costume design: Luis Sequeira
Makeup / hair: Allan Cooke
VFX supervisor: Dennis Berardi
Sound: Christian T. Cooke
Stunt coordinator: Jamie Jones
Runtime: 151 min · 2h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $60,000,000
Box office: $39,629,195
Return: 66% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Nightmare Alley (2021)

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Guillermo del Toro

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What people are saying

garethmb2021-12-02
Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper); is a man trying to get by in late 1930s America in the new film "Nightmare Alley". Our first introduction to Stanton is less than flattering and he soon finds himself employed at a Carnival after coming upon it by chance. The eager Stanton is given advice and tools of the trade by his boss Clem (Willem Dafoe) as well as the mystic Zeena (Toni Collette) and Stanton eagerly wants to get ahead. While striking a friendship with fellow employee Molly (Rooney Mara); Stanton learns that Zeena's older and alcoholic husband has a skill from a former act where he learns to read people and use verbal cues to appear to have the power of clairvoyance. Eventually, Stanton seeks bigger opportunities and leaves with Molly for the city where they in time develop a successful act that offers them two shows a night at a fancy hotel and some of the finer things in life. Unwilling to be content with what he has; Stanton becomes involved with a Psychologist named Lilith (Cate Blanchett) and uses her knowledge to set up higher-profile marks who will pay well for his supposed abilities and in doing so; sets a dangerous chain of events into motion. The film is based on the 1946 book of the same name and an earlier 1947 film, and while it does an amazing job with the visuals and moody atmosphere of the era; it is a very long and slowly-paced film. The movie is over 2.5 hours long and comes across as overly long and self-indulgent as Director Guillermo del Toro could easily have shaved 30-45 minutes from the film and told the story without losing much. The cast and performances are very good but a slow-paced and dour film is not an ideal way to spend 2.5 hours at the movies no matter how much it has going for it. The movie does have some good points but I think it will do much better on streaming and home video where audiences can pause and take a break. If you are a fan of the Noir style of old; then this may be just what you are looking for, but I think it should have been so much more. 3.5 stars out of 5.
Chris Sawin2021-12-13
★ 7/10
The duration of Nightmare Alley may seem like a slog even as you’re watching it. On one hand, your mindset is essentially, “How many times do I have to watch Bradley Cooper read a book and point at his temple over and over for two and a half hours?” But Nightmare Alley is expertly crafted in a way that every sequence feels relevant later on and it leaves you with a lot to ponder after it ends. It’s a beautiful film with an incredible cast full of strong performances from del Toro regulars. It may feel like an extreme case of a slow burn, but it’s also a rare instance where it’s worth your valuable time and the investment. The audience being in on the con from the start makes you feel like part of the carny family. At this point in his illustriously hellish career, Nightmare Alley is arguably Guillermo del Toro’s best written film. Full review: https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/12/13/nightmare-alley-review-a-murky-noir-that-tinkers-with-greatness/
r96sk2022-02-04
★ 10/10
This is great! I loved it! <em>'Nightmare Alley'</em> is a superb watch! I particularly enjoyed the beginning and end, which are truly excellent; the middle part isn't as strong, but is still top notch in its own right. I love the dark atmosphere it sets from the get-go, the sound design is outstanding - some bits are so striking and I love it! It has a quality, engrossing story to boot. Bradley Cooper leads the cast with quality, though he isn't even the sole standout of the film. He is joined by a whole host of terrific performers: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, David Strathairn ... I could go on, simply phenomenal casting! I wanted more of them all, and yet felt I got the perfect amount too. The 150 minute run time went by incredibly quickly for me; if I hadn't known it was on for that long, I would never have guessed its length to be anywhere near that. It's a slow burn, but a slow burn done tremendously. Guillermo del Toro - this is the first film of his I've seen - & Co. did a super job, I have no complaints at all. I was toying for ages between a 9 or a 10 rating, it just about creeps its way into the latter. Just brilliant. Go watch!