New action/crime/drama Nightmare Alley is director Guillermo del Toro’s latest audio-visual feast.

Starring Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe, the story follows an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people. Little did he know that the psychiatrist he’s just hooked up with is far more dangerous than he is.

When big hitters like Cooper and Blanchett are involved, one pays attention. And as I often do, I watched the above trailer before reading the synopsis.

Considering how much is going on in just over a minute and a half of this trailer, plus Dafoe’s character’s non-stop dialogue, which I still haven’t really listened to yet, it’s no wonder I had some trouble keeping up. That’s probably part of the reason I wasn’t sure about just how appealing this movie is to me initially. That of course changed as soon as I learned about the ‘manipulation face/off.’

Now I have to watch to see just how intense it’s all going to get. And for the great colours and beautiful lighting, of course.

Tim Blake Nelson, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Clifton Collins Jr., Troy James, David Hewlett, Holt McCallany, Paul Anderson and David Strathairn also star.

Nightmare Alley Release Dates: December 17th, 2021 (US); January 21st, 2022 (UK)…

Happy Film Loving

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