By Michelle Corrales

New in theaters, Guillermo del Toro film Crimson Peak is definitely more of a gothic-romance than an actual horror movie. Taking place in New York in the 20^th century, the movie tells a story about a girl named Edith who, at a young age, has an encounter with a ghost closely related to her who warns her about Crimson Peak. At a later age, Edith finds herself in the middle of her worst nightmare all because she fell in love with a mysterious stranger who sweeps her away to a mansion in England filled with darkness. Her traumatic experiences will help her realize who the real monsters are.

Notably, del Toro created a film infused with vivid images and special effects; performances by Tom Hiddleston (known for playing Loki in the marvel films “Thor” and “The Avengers”), Mia Wasikowska, and Jessica Chastain help create the gothic-romance sensation that was intended for the film. Del Toro chose carefully which actors and actresses to be a part of his film; he needed them to be able to express to the audience the creepy vibe, and that’s exactly what was created in the theaters.

As an R-rated horror film, Forbes Magazine actually refers to Crimson Peak as “scary bad.” Also, Deadline Hollywood states that the film “came in below expectations” coming in with an estimated  $5.29M on opening night and was given a Cinema Score of a B-. The film was also given a score of 68% on famous website Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite the negative criticism, top critic Jason Gorber from Globe and Mail reveals that “Guillermo Del Toro’s latest dive into darkness is a sumptuous, beautifully constructed tale that feels both archaic and inviting.”  And Rolling Stone’s top critic Peter Travis also indicates that “del Toro doesn’t merely direct movies. He paints them, dreams them, and shapes them into private fantasies. Too much? Of course. But that’s part of the fun.”

In addition, Ian Harding (mainly known for playing Ezra Fitz on Pretty Little Liars) posted on his Instagram how much he enjoyed the film.  Along with a graphic from the movie he posted, “loved this movie. Del Toro’s a genius. Every actor is on point. I will never be alone in my house again.”

Carry Corrales, a student who does not like scary movies, actually enjoyed this film. She explained that even though the movie wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be, it definitely caught her attention. The storyline was intriguing and the film’s suspense really gave it that creepy factor; in the end, she was surprised by the outcome. She also said that she would recommend people watch this movie because it’s not the usual ghost and scary movie; it has a great story within.

With that said, although there were mixed feelings about this movie, I strongly encourage everyone who is of age (because of bloody violence and some sexual content) and enjoys darkness and mysteriousness and occasionally a little jump-scare or two, to watch this film that was carefully arranged with striking images and creepy music to create this gothic-masterpiece.

Images and trailer are property of Universal and Legendary Pictures.