JP Nunez
There are a handful of directors whose movies I’ll always watch. For example, any time James Wan, Mike Flanagan, or Scott Derrickson comes out with a new film, you can bet that I’ll be first in line to see it on opening night. And the same is true of Guillermo del Toro. I’m a huge fan of his work, so when I first heard he was making a new film called Nightmare Alley, I immediately put it on my to-watch list. And now that we finally have a trailer for the movie, my excitement for it has skyrocketed even higher.
It’s a noir thriller based on a 1946 novel of the same name, and it’s actually the second time this story has been brought to the big screen. The first film adaptation was made in 1947, but as always, you can be sure that del Toro is going to put his own unique spin on the material. Here’s the official plot synopsis for his version:
“In NIGHTMARE ALLEY, an ambitious carny (Bradley Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is.”
While that sounds pretty intriguing, it’s also pretty sparse, so unless you’re already familiar with the story of Nightmare Alley, the main draw here is probably not going to be the plot. It’s going to be the visuals, and if the trailer is any indication, they’re going to be just as enchanting as we’ve come to expect from Guillermo del Toro.
From the very first frame, everything we see looks absolutely magical, no matter how mundane it may be. Whether it’s a guy stepping out of a bus, a man sitting down and smoking by himself, or the beautiful shots of the carnival, literally everything in this trailer looks straight out of a fairy tale.
And that’s strange because del Toro has made it very clear that there’s nothing supernatural in Nightmare Alley. It is, as he explains it, “based completely in a reality world.” He’s just so good at creating hypnotic visuals that they feel otherworldly even when they’re really not, and if we can get that feeling from the trailer, I can’t wait to see what the full movie looks like.
I’m confident that it’s going to be just as mesmerizing, so I’m brimming with excitement for this film. Nightmare Alley comes out in theaters on December 17, and if it’s even half as good as the trailer, we’re in for a real treat.
So what do you think of the trailer for Nightmare Alley? Do you agree with JP that it showcases some truly stunning visuals? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re looking for more trailers we’ve got you covered!
