Nightmare Alley (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Nightmare Alley (2021) – G. del Toro

Once upon a time, I spent a while searching for a DVD copy of the 1947 version of Nightmare Alley (1947) to complete my film noir collection, given its high standing among genre aficionados. I also read the novel by William Lindsay Gresham during a period when I sought out and consumed noir source material. So, it was with some anticipation that I watched Guillermo del Toro’s new remake of the book/film (especially given that del Toro himself has become quite a good filmmaker, winning the Oscar with his last outing The Shape of Water, 2017).  Set in the 1930s, with its protagonist Stanton Carlisle (previously Tyrone Power but now Bradley Cooper) drifting in to join the travelling carnival, learning the secrets of mentalism and then striking out on his own with his girl/partner (Rooney Mara here) to great success.  But Carlisle is a selfish and greedy sort, always the hustler looking for an angle, and his cons quickly move beyond parlour tricks and into more dangerous territory. Del Toro and his art department do a fine job of recreating the late 30s/early 40s with a heightened (almost surreal) sense of colour and deco/décor. The actors feature period hair and clothes straight out of historical photos. The plot ticks over slowly, almost as though this version is a lucid dream of the 1947 film, with my recollection of moments from the earlier 110m film serving as signposts along the way in the 150m remake. The focus on human nature making us all suckers is an evergreen theme.  And it worked, until suddenly it didn’t. The turning point involves Cate Blanchett’s Dr Lilith Ritter whose partnership with Carlisle isn’t quite as clearcut as it should be – something felt amiss with the plotting here, even though it worked fine in the original. Then it is all downhill for Stanton Carlisle straight to the clearly foreshadowed punchline, which del Toro does manage with aplomb. Verdict:  It should be tighter, shorter, punchier with more noir bite yet it’s still worth a look to see how a modern master uses new techniques to refashion an old genre.