Guillermo del Toro has built a career on finding beauty in darkness, crafting stories that, even in their bleakest moments, hold onto some sense of wonder, nostalgia, or hope. Movies like Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and his stop-motion Pinocchio remake all explore the perseverance of the human spirit, even in the face of terrible atrocities. That’s what makes Nightmare Alley such a striking outlier in his filmography—it’s a film almost entirely devoid of hope, a cynical neo-noir that suggests people are, at their core, selfish and opportunistic. Instead of offering redemption, Nightmare Alley leaves you with a sick feeling in your stomach, hammering home its central thesis: trust is a liability, and grifters will always find a way to exploit it.
The story follows Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a drifter who finds work at a traveling carnival and quickly learns how to manipulate audiences with his charm and ability to read people. With guidance from veteran carnival performers like Zeena (Toni Collette), Clem (Willem Dafoe), Pete (David Strathairn), and Bruno (Ron Perlman), Stan perfects the art of deception, embracing the idea that exploiting others—especially the working class—is the quickest path to success.
When Stan outgrows the carnival, he takes his act to high society, dragging fellow performer Molly (Rooney Mara) with him. Believing he can con anyone, he sets his sights on an elite psychologist, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), and her wealthy former client Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins), a man whose desperation makes him the perfect mark. But as Stan’s confidence grows, so does his recklessness, and his inability to recognize when he’s in over his head becomes his ultimate downfall.
There’s an eerie prescience to Nightmare Alley, as it explores the fine line between those who claim to help the downtrodden and those who exploit them. Stan is a selfish, ruthless protagonist, molded by a society that rewards deceit, and Bradley Cooper plays him with a level of grit and rawness that strips away the more polished, Oscar-friendly charm he often leans on. It’s a performance more in line with his work in A Star Is Born than something like Maestro, and it’s a welcome reminder that he’s at his best when he leans into flawed, morally ambiguous characters. In Nightmare Alley, his good looks aren’t just an asset—they’re a weapon, allowing him to infiltrate high society and manipulate his way to power.
That said, the film isn’t without its flaws. The first half, which details Stan’s time at the carnival, is a bit too drawn out. While it effectively establishes his skills and moral descent, the pacing drags, and the story picks up significantly once he leaves for the city. The ending, too, leans a bit too hard into its own cleverness—Stan’s inevitable fate as the carnival’s next geek is a full-circle moment that was already clear long before the final scene spells it out.
Still, Nightmare Alley is a masterclass in technical filmmaking. Del Toro’s eye for visual storytelling is as precise as ever, and the film’s meticulous production design and cinematography bring the bleak, seedy underworld of 1940s America to life. While it may not be his most emotionally resonant work, it’s one that lingers in your mind, a grim and uncompromising portrait of self-destruction. I’m not sure if Nightmare Alley is my favorite of his films, but it’s one I continue to think about long after it’s over—which, in its own way, is a testament to its power.
Score: 7/10
Nightmare Alley (2021)
- Cast: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, David Strathairn, Holt McCallany, Tim Blake Nelson
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Runtime: 150 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: December 17, 2021
More Movies Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro has directed the following movies:
- Cronos (1992)
- The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
- Hellboy (2004)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
- Pacific Rim (2013)
- Crimson Peak (2015)
- The Shape of Water (2017)
- Nightmare Alley (2021)
- Pinocchio (2022)
More Movies Starring Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper has starred in the following movies: