This. Looks. Mint
It’s fair to say that Guillermo del Toro is a pretty out-there guy but when he pulls together multiple concepts successfully, there aren’t many directors better at selling you weird and wonderful worlds that feel authentically lived-in.
That being said, he’s always had a particular penchant for the thriller and horror genres – and his latest project entitled, Nightmare Alley, looks to be an absolute belter.
From the first teaser trailer alone, it seems to have all the external old-world glam of a Fitzgerald novel, the gritty suspense of Stephen King classic and a dash of American Horror Story – though that last one could be because the carnival setting is making us think of Freak Show, to be honest.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette (just to name a few), this del Toro thriller is based on a 1947 book of the same name, written by William Lindsay Gresham. Nightmare Alley was his debut novel before going on to write about Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls.
Without too many spoilers, the story follows a travelling carnival that includes an extremely persuasive con-man (Cooper) who teams up with a female psychiatrist (Blanchett) to trick people into giving them money. There are chickens involved (you’ll see), lots of booze and by the looks of del Toro’s adaptation, plenty more to get you off your seat.
Nightmare Alley is due for release on December 17, 2021. Just in time to get your heart racing before Christmas dinner.
Related links:
- Coco is officially the UK’s favourite Pixar film, according to science
- Guillermo Del Toro is making a Black Mirror-style horror anthology for Netflix
- Luther to return for brand new film on Netflix
