7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Young author Edith Cushing discovers that her charming new husband is not who he appears to be.
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim BeaverHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 33% |
Mystery | 23% |
Psychological thriller | 19% |
Thriller | 4% |
Period | 3% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS:X
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS Headphone:X
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Skilled directors are easy to find, but skilled directors who are also cinematic visionaries are significantly more rare. At, or very near, the top of that exclusive collection of today's top filmmakers is Guillermo del Toro, a man whose ability to craft both successful mainstream films like Pacific Rim alongside thematically darker and artistically stylish films like Pan's Labyrinth demonstrate not just versatility, but command of the medium and all of its applications. Crimson Peak is a bit of both mainstream and elegant, heavily favoring the latter -- his more deeply stylish and dramatically complex side shines in this "Gothic Romance"-inspired film -- but also finding a broader commercial appeal as it tells a story of love, murder, mystery, madness, heartache, and otherworldly spirits. Though not as commercially successful as either Pacific or Pan, the film is nevertheless an artistically successful and dramatically absorbing work of art that only disappoints in an uninspired conclusion to an otherwise brilliant film.
You're home.
Crimson Peak's digital photography pushes a little flat, but it beautifully captures all of the intricate details of both its opening act Buffalo location and its second and third act dilapidated mansion location. Of note is the transfer's ability to precisely reproduce all variety of ornate details, whether fine fabric and stitching textures or very rough, yet elegant, interior details in the house, all of which are critical in shaping the movie's very specific atmosphere and conveying important visual cues, even if many are ultimately subconscious, that tie the themes and imagery together. However, the movie can be rather dark, and to such an extent that heavier clusters of darkness and shadow tend to swallow up details, whole. On the plus side that adds a sense of dread and inescapability to the movie, on the other it drowns out some of the gorgeous detailing that appears throughout. Colors are excellent, though push fairly warm with a dominant golden/bronze tint in the first act and colder and darker afterwards, until the final few minutes and with the exception of the movie's overpowering use of red, but only at several critical junctures. The image does appear to carry a bit of noise in places, too, but other maladies like banding and macroblocking are absent. The transfer is very effective, for the most part, but at the same time a bit frustrating as well.
Crimson Peak is one of the first Blu-ray releases to feature the new DTS:X object-based sound format (other titles include The Last Witch Hunter and Ex Machina). It also contains a more traditional "core" DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack, reviewed herein. The track plays with superb detailing and stage placement. Immersion is fluid and obvious, even without the added overhead channels. Music flows about the stage with elegant placement and instrumental definition. It effortlessly wraps into the backs and enjoys an even, but hefty, low end support element. There's good, complex, bustling din in several of the early Buffalo locations. Ambient effects like rainfall are easily immersive around the stage, steam rushes through, creaky doors moan, and heavy doors rumble open. Spectral sounds rush through the listening area to excellent effect. The track features a few good directional effects; a bouncing ball images from front to back around the 46 minute mark. Dialogue delivery is firm and focused in the center, boasting effortless clarity and sure-handed prioritization.
Crimson Peak contains numerous extras, including deleted scenes and an audio commentary track. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher
for a UV/iTunes digital copy are also included with purchase.
Crimson Peak is a work of art on its surface, but the movie's excellence lies in the way Del Toro manages to integrate everything -- story, characters, themes, imagery, composition, and style -- into a coherent and cohesive whole. The movie is beautiful, dotted by graphic violence and frightening imagery that accentuates themes, even through the grotesque façade. Strong performances support, and while the climax feels a little too routine in light of what the rest of the movie has to offer, it remains a fantastic piece of filmmaking that excels well beyond the fairly generic Hollywood standard. Universal's Blu-ray features good video, excellent audio, and a healthy allotment of extra features. Very highly recommended.
2015
Limited Edition
2015
2015
2015
2015
Limited Edition
2015
2015
Extended Director's Cut
2018
25th Anniversary Edition
1992
25th Anniversary
1999
1961
1963
2013-2014
Eliza Graves
2014
2001
Alternate Cut
2011
2018
2018
2017
2012
The Secret of Marrowbone
2017
2020
1971
The Fantastic Disappearing Man / Curse of Dracula
1958
2008-2014
Special Edition | Includes The Little Shop of Horrors
1963
2012