Nightmare Alley

2021

2h 30m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

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Crime

Drama

Thriller

An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.

Directors

Guillermo del Toro

Writers

William Lindsay Gresham(novel by)

Guillermo del Toro(screenplay by)

Kim Morgan(screenplay by)

Stars

Bradley Cooper

Cate Blanchett

Toni Collette

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Top cast

Stanton Carlisle

Dr. Lilith Ritter

Zeena the Seer

Clem Hoatley

Ezra Grindle

Molly Cahill

Bruno

Mrs. Kimball

Pete

The Major

Judge Kimball

Anderson

Geek #1

Lara Jean Chorostecki

Louise Hoatley

Jim Beaver

Sheriff Jedediah Judd

Clifton Collins Jr.

Funhouse Jack

Tim Blake Nelson

Carny Boss

David Hewlett

Dr. Elrood

Directors

Guillermo del Toro

Writers

William Lindsay Gresham(novel by)

Guillermo del Toro(screenplay by)

Kim Morgan(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Bradley Cooper picks up the baton from Tyrone Power (1948) as the ambitious "Stanton Carlisle", a shrewd young man who works the travelling shows with an eye for the main chance. That chance comes when he hooks up with Toni Collette's "Zeena", who shows him the tricks of their mentalist trade. Pretty soon they are fooling the great and the good - and he meets "Dr. Ritter" (Cate Blanchett). She is a psychiatrist, every bit as ambitious and ruthless as he and is content to share some of the innermost secrets of her clients with him so he can exploit their suffering. To the top of their list goes sceptical millionaire "Ezra Grindle". Together they conjure up one hell of a sting on this man - but can they succeed? This film looks great, but I found it took too long to become interesting. Cooper is handsome, but struggles with the unscrupulousness that the part needed to convey, and his scenes with Blanchett lack chemistry, indeed it is Collette who really steals the few scenes she is in - especially towards the rather twisted end of the tale. It is good, but maybe just had too much time and money and the story sacrificed some of it's soul here.

Geronimo196707 Jul, 2022