Nightmare Alley movie review -- Breakfast All Day

[@C_M_R]

I really enjoyed this movie. I was surprised to see the amazing art deco Buffalo City Hall building in this movie. I went to college in WNY and always marveled at its beauty when I was in downtown Buffalo.

[@jakecorenthose2901]

I dug this. I adore the original & didn't expect this to touch it, which is why I'm glad Guillermo & Morgan did their own thing with it. They went for something pulpier & more genre-oriented. I like that they made Cooper's character more morally ambiguous than the Power character from the original. Just another thing that gave this film its own identity.

[@Beatness121]

I really loved this movie, but I also love basically every movie Guillermo del Toro has made. There's just something about his style that really gets me.

[@NelsonMontana1234]

This was a slicker more involved, and evolved, version of the original movie which was interested and surprisingly disturbing for the time. The original was low budget and quirky. The remake captures the era with fantastic cinematography and has much better acting. But the remake seemed to overdevelop each scene to the point of tedium while overlooking the overall story -- which had several holes. The love interest is forced and has no chemistry. Overall, it's an interesting topic and could have been great, but it missed the mark , as so many modern films do, by the excess of the director falling in love with every frame he shot. I think a B&W version with 40 minutes cut would improve it immensely.

[@patcurrie9888]

Alonso, remake, remake. The original was nearly 75 yrs ago! Hardly anyone alive from then now. This one HAS to be better. Christy, "Young buck, young man" was in context. He was younger than most of the older characters.

[@65g4]

Exactly he may have seen the original but a lot of us havent. I thought it was great. Really loved everything about it the costumes, the production design, the noir feel. I also thought Cooper was great in it, who cares if he was a bit old for the part.

[@brajeshsingh2391]

I watched this movie and though its more style over substance, I think it was well done. The style of this movie is great. The production and art design is terrific, and of the many "retro" movies I have seen Nightmare Alley is the probably the one that recreates the past really well. We feel we are transported back to the 1920's and 30's. The casting is also pretty good. However the "core" of the story is somewhat brittle or feels so. You would probably not be fully convinced by it. And the reveal will leave you underwhelmed but the end is strong. Bradley Cooper carries this movie and full credit to him for really playing the character in a way that keeps you engaged from the beginning to the end. Apart from him the supporting male cast is great, all of them deliver great performances and play the characters. The female supporting cast is ordinary though. Cate Blanchett is really ordinary as Alonso noted in what is the second most important role and Rooney Mara only gets a chance to some acting flair at the end. And they were the 2 most important characters. Overall Nightmare Alley is really stylish and you have to give credit that department. I think Del Torro dressed up the "real" story of the movie with the carnival act. And that probably is the weakness of the movie. It does not really fit in. It looks great but it never sets up the plot as it should have. The second part of the movie, and that is the main part feels completely detached from the first. And the second part feels somewhat incomplete and unrealistic and times which is disappointing because of the effort put on the style and visuals to make it feel genuine. But still Nightmare Alley is a decent watch. I give it a 7. I really think a better effort ought to made to integrate the 2 halves of the movie to bring more genuineness to the story. And some more screen time should have been given to the 2 female leads, especially Cate Blanchett to strengthen the drama and bring more conviction to the narrative. I do not know if the movie was nominated for production or art design but it should have been.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughtful review! It was indeed nominated for production design, costumes and cinematography, plus best picture. It truly is sumptuous.

[@bev9708]

I am forced to think of many of Stanley Kubrick's films, how they were slammed by critics who didn't appreciate the extreme care, hard work and attention to detail that went in to them, and how how much that hurt Stanley. I think / hope that this movie will get a LOT more appreciation in the future for the masterpiece it is, but well, time will tell!!

[@hendrixlove4713]

It will, plus this generation is too busy getting excited for another spidey girl film.

[@cjlaity1]

I miss Matt. Did you fire him because he wasn't vaccinated?

[@earnthis1]

Maybe if you never saw the original and avoided all the previews, it works better, I really enjoyed the experience. I was shocked by the twists, and all the technical aspects were beyond top notch.

[@ellemiller7237]

So you're gonna criticize THIS movie for being a "look at this thing you remember" thing but at the same time talk about spiderman no way home as if it's good???? ..........kay

[@arman0612]

This is my favorite movie review channel on KZbin, but only 6.2 for this masterpiece? It's a wonderful film, I loved every second of it. And yes, the 1947 version is also great.

[@martinavila7401]

Alonso and christy are not that big fans of noiry stuff like drive that is super loved and they hated it

[@wb8905]

“masterpiece” really?

[@wb8905]

@Mc76 I actually think it is. Perfectly fine but unnecessary remake. It’s about as good as Crimson Peak.

[@nikitamohanan2124]

@@martinavila7401 i do think Drive is a much superior movie to this one. There are other critics who didn't live this movie all that much

[@DamjanPlamenac]

Boy if you throw the word masterpiece at this, your bar is really low

[@radiopadilla]

I liked this one more than Shape of Water.

[@jasonjones3694]

Me too, I really enjoyed this movie, one of my favorites of the year.

[@joedixon1186]

In the original Tyrone Power also gets called boy a bunch and he looks about 50. Anyway, I will probably see this version however the biggest mistake in the first picture was not ending it with the job offer and him saying; "Mister, I was made for it." Hope this new one doesn't make that same mistake.

[@wildonionchase3934]

It ends the same way as the original book

[@keng4847]

The original "Nightmare alley" doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere. However the original is very good.

[@sarafstop32]

You can see the original on KZbin for free. The quality is good.

[@keng4847]

@@sarafstop32 Thanks

[@damosuzuki]

it's on the criterion channel.

[@EsthledoKid97]

As a Gen Z'er who is already still catching up with all the content across all platforms, I've never seen the original and probably won't for a while. This 2021 movie I've seen, and it's flipping amazing! And plus, I'll watch it a second time for Alonso! 😂 *Best performance from Bradley Cooper 🙌🏽 the tub scene alone got me (and many others) onboard, I bet lmao. 💀

[@sharknado623]

As a Millennial, I did, but just because I'm a movie lover. It was hard to find, but it's more, more than great.

[@breadordecide]

What genius released this opposite spiderman.

[@VictorDiGiovanni]

Someone who should be cast into movie hell, boy.

[@sebastianfigueroa8084]

Guess who’s fault it is, it’s starts with the letter D, it really shows that they don’t care about this Fox movies.

[@martinavila7401]

Its not a smart business choice but for me was cool i watched both today haha

[@breadordecide]

@@sebastianfigueroa8084 Probably to bury and hide the whole biting a chickens head off scene.

[@KW-vy1rf]

This is what used to be called counter programming. A strictly mature film for adults who don't want to see Spiderman or the Matrix.

[@nikitamohanan2124]

I don't understand why Rooney mara's character was so naive and easily fell for him on such a quick whim??? It was weird and how and why he was suddenly making bad judgement and poor mistakes. It was weird.

[@grayforester]

I saw it tonight and thought we were supposed to chalk that deterioration up to the booze. By the end it sure looks like his paw was an old drunk and probably cruel.

[@jonwesick2844]

I just watched the 1947 version on Criterion. It's a decent movie but I don't need to see it again in an updated version.

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

NIGHTMARE ALLEY 1947 is an entertaining drama, but it would've been much better had the story taken place entirely at the carnival. Those who work there fool crowds into thinking they have special abilities. A couple of people try and fail to expose them in the middle of a performance. Two of the "carnies" (Stan Carlisle and his wife Molly) go on a journey of moral debates and emotional crisis. Unfortunately, there's so much filler that the plot never comes together as a whole. 6/10 The production values in NIGHTMARE ALLEY 2021 aren't bad, but I can't bring myself to call them anything other than competent, making this the rare Guillermo del Toro movie where the visual style didn't leave me in awe. Even in THE SHAPE OF WATER, where the use of light and colors wasn't as unique as the rest of his filmography, he managed to bring us a lot of memorable shots. The performances are good, except for Rooney Mara's, while the pacing is even worse compared to the previous adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's novel. *Spoilers ahead!* What truly convinced me that this version is inferior is the scene where Stan tries to scam a man named Ezra Grindle. He asks Molly to pose as the ghost of his dead wife. In the previous movie, Stan made sure there was enough distance between Molly and Grindle, so he wouldn't notice that she was an impostor. Molly felt so much guilt that she revealed her true self to Grindle. Here, Grindle doesn't listen to Stan and runs towards Molly. He falls on his knees right before he embraces her, so he doesn't make eye contact. It's not until this moment that Molly's culpability causes her to break down. When he stands up and looks at her, there's no indication that he wouldn't have discovered the truth on his own had she remained silent. That makes her choice less meaningful, doesn't it? 5/10

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@mikej4125]

Is an amazing movie as all what guillermo del Toro does and this guy as critic is far to be a expert to criticize movies

[@badbadchacha]

I loved the movie

[@BobSullivanAKABuffy]

So it wasn't just me! Pretty to look at but so what! This, like House of Gucci, seemed SO overstuffed with name actors in bit parts that are inconsequential. Way too long too. I want to track down the original though.

[@malcolmxpanther]

I don’t think Bradley Cooper is miscast. He is a con artist who no one believes, that’s why he never wins in the movie

[@badbadchacha]

Where’s matt?

[@Ionisus]

Best movie i have seen in years..hands down

[@joaoazevedo1054]

Let me guess- you saw it at home, right? Just saw it in the cinema and, although not as good as the original movie, it’s mesmerising

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Nope, at a screening room on the Fox lot. Thanks for watching!

[@joaoazevedo1054]

@@BreakfastAllDay always good + entertaining reviews (even when we don’t agree 😀)

[@BreakfastAllDay]

@@joaoazevedo1054 Thanks so much, Joao!

[@ZlatanHu.]

I'm a bit shocked that you found it so underwhelming. Technically speaking, this is an outstanding movie (as expected from Del Toro), but there is so much meat here that you guys completely overlooked and ignored. Tone of a movie was weirdly on point and with such a 'simple' story with tricky psychological layers it wasn't an easy task to achieve. Bradley miscasted? I've heard it only here so far, I think he was superb and actually perfectly casted. Btw, only much older characters in a movie called him young and that's quite normal. At least an Academy recognised it and nominated it for the best picture.

[@nikitamohanan2124]

This year is so bizarre in terms of award season choices. So many Oscar bait films getting mixed reviews from critics and audience alike whether it's Power of the dog, Adam McKay's star studded film and Nightmare Alley. Whereas a film like CODA had a no buzz release and just quietly dropped on Apple was actually entertaining for me I liked it even more than Belfast but hardly anyone's talking about it not even in the Best picture race. Also how exactly does one compare cinematography and these other technical awards. Cuz Dune and West side story were both spectacular and top notch in cinematography, editing and other technical stuff but how do you gauge who executed these things the best and is the most deserving of those awards when they are poles apart in terms of genre? Does it just come down to personal taste?

[@richgranados11]

You have a point. I watched a lot of Oscar bait films. A lot are silly and dull in their own way. Most are ok. The worst I saw this year was Spencer. Nightmare Alley was good. But ur right about taste. My favorite film this year was Malignant cause it was so fresh, unique, daring and surprising. I watched it months ago and still think about how funny and compelling it was whereas I just saw Spider-Man and I’m struggling to see what the big deal is because it brought nothing new to the table.

[@nikitamohanan2124]

@@richgranados11 Saw Malignant too but there are parts of that movie that made no sense to me at all. No way home I liked more than Endgame. It actually showed Peter Parker's growth and the movie was equally about Peter Parker as it was about Spiderman. Ya there were logical loopholes but i enjoyed this 1 more for sure

[@nikitamohanan2124]

@@richgranados11 My brother found Power of the Dog super weird some found it boring. With Nightmarr Alley some were saying they were disappointed cuz it's not nearly as good as the director's previous films

[@El_oh7199]

Personally, I was happier with the smaller character focused films like Pig and Power of the Dog or Titane. On a technical level del Toro is beyond anything in those movies, but he seems to lose any kind of heart. I much more preferred Shape of Water and Pacific Rim (anything other than Crimson Peak!)

[@schmoab]

This review unfortunately turned me off to this movie. It’s not the best of the year, but it is really good. I liked the first half more than the second half. It’s easy to catch on streaming so check it out. At least it’s a movie about something.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Thanks for watching anyway!

[@activelivingchallenger4298]

I like matt

[@GilbertGrapestruck]

I wanted to love this so much. This was my most anticipated movie this year and it just dragged and the screenplay is lazy. Visually, It is amazing.

[@brajeshsingh2391]

the ending is said to be very good. And that should compensate for the slowness. Del Torro is known for making eccentric movies with "tragic" endings. maybe good. I was quite unimpressed with Shape of Water though but there are movies of his like Cronos and Devil's backbone which I liked. Blade was also quite good.

[@hendrixlove4713]

Let me guess, the new Spider man film was perfection?

[@El_oh7199]

The movie looks great but I was frustrated throughout. The plot doesnt really start until about an hour in. Cate Blanchett and Richard Jenkins really kick things up a notch. But otherwise, any sympathetic characters were left at the carnival and the ones we are left with are repellent and greedy frauds. Rooney Mara is the most relatable but she disappears for a lot of the 3rd act. I think of this in the same terms as Crimson Peak; pretty to look at but nothing new to add to a century old genre.

[@MarcosIsABaritone]

Cate Blanchett's role was messy. Rooney Mara's character was anemic. The final shot with Cooper was... alright, so he is accepting he is a horrible person... but are we not going to comment on how wretched the circumstances of a world must be for a "geek" to even exist? Are we supposed to buy this is an acceptable punishment and eventuality for Cooper's character? Still, like all Del Toro films, it sure was aesthetically sumptuous.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

It is incredibly beautiful.

[@dugfriendly]

Is Cate Blanchett tired of acting?

[@garymartin5093]

I never seen so many people leave halfway through movie Louis boring sick movie I've seen in awhile

[@shantoreywilkins651]

#8th

[@paulsommerhalder9049]

6.8 and 5.5....6.2, wait for the streaming I guess.

[@yiarkungfu]

Bradley Cooper is miscast. You can skip the first hour because it amounts to nothing. Cooper’s character completely changes from silent simpleton to a confident grifter over the space of 15 minutes.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Second half is definitely better than the first.

[@sarafstop32]

I agree and find this review refreshing. This movie was all style and no substance. The was the worst movie I've seen in years!

[@joseluisavalos6342]

Most… basic… review… ever.

[@Kev199117]

Totally agree with you guys. This movie is not worth seeing.

[@grayforester]

I like that kind of hting. I saw it tonight. Expect to watch it again sometime.