October is the time of year when an abundance of horror films invade the movie theaters. The great majority of them are either slasher gore-fests, clichéd haunted house stories, or poorly-acted monster movies. For that reason, I was eagerly anticipating Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak,” hoping that it would be a refreshing new entry in the all-too overlooked genre of gothic horror. But unfortunately, even with a director as talented as del Toro behind the camera, “Crimson Peak” is not all too unique or interesting. Other than some gorgeously shot cinematography and some occasional scares, there’s not much else to see.

A Touch of Gothic Horror

“Crimson Peak” begins in America in the late 1800’s, where an aspiring writer named Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) lives with her very well-off father (Jim Beaver). A man named Tom Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) visit the town in an attempt to convince Edith’s father to fund the production of a valuable clay-digging machine. Though he does not win over the father, his charming demeanor and good looks win over Edith. As is almost immediately obvious, though, there is much more going on here than Edith initially realizes.

Gothic horror stories almost always take place in a dark, towering mansion, where things go bump in the night. Here, it is in Cumbria, England, where both Tom and his sister were brought up and where Tom takes Edith after they are married. Almost immediately upon arrival, Edith starts to see ghostly apparitions, which, if familiar with Del Toro’s filmography, may look quite familiar. Their hazy, flowing quality reminded me of the little ghost boy from “The Devil’s Backbone,” although much more ghastly and sinister. Where the two films separate, though, is how the ghosts fit into the story.

But More of an Atmospheric Mystery

The ghosts of “Crimson Peak” are heavily featured in the film’s trailers, including one particularly frightening scene involving a red skeletal-looking creature lurking in a bathtub. Yet, by the conclusion of the film, the ghosts themselves didn’t even seem particularly necessary. Their only purpose throughout the entirety of the film is to yell out vague, barely audible warnings to Edith in the middle of the night, only to then disappear and be forgotten by the next scene. Perhaps it is because ghosts are simply an accepted part of this world, as Edith states in her opening narration, but it still seemed so odd to me to have so few actual horror scenes in a film that is advertised as such.

Most of “Crimson Peak” is instead concerned with the uncomfortably strange relationship between Tom and his sister Lucille, and of their shady past, which is revealed in bits and pieces until the almost too-obvious conclusion. It at times reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” which also concerned a newly married couple moving into a giant mansion, and how they deal with a destructive presence.

From a cinematographic perspective, there really is much to be admired about Crimson Peak. Tonally, del Toro builds tension through brooding, sweeping camera shots down dark hallways. Del Toro, along with cinematographer Dan Laustsen, display the mansion at Crimson Peak as a crumbling ruin, as magnificent as it is terrifyingly cryptic. And it has just the right amount of del Toro’s signature touch.

A Guillermo Del Toro Film

Guillermo Del Toro has made a name for himself since he first started in the industry with the film “Cronos.” His films contain consistent themes, and more often than not also deal with either the supernatural or with monsters of some kind. “Crimson Peak” is no exception. Some elements of this film that relate to his past work include the presence of bugs, which here are presented as giant moths that flourish through the drafty walls of the Crimson Peak mansion. He also presents some very similar character archetypes throughout the film – the naive but strong protagonist; the evil, brooding force; the pure-hearted, saving grace; and the flawed antagonist that is easily manipulated.

While the characters in his past films were written with depth, though, here they are sorely lacking. The actors cannot really be faulted, because they attempt to play the characters as well as written. But as written, they are not really much more than archetypes. Jessica Chastain in particular tries to play the devilishly evil Lucille with her own menacing charm, but her character couldn’t be more obviously bad if the word “evil” was tattooed across her forehead. In addition, there is no actual explanation for her behavior, which treads into cartoonish villain territory.

Conclusion

Which brings me to my final verdict: Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” is a stylish thriller with a hint of gothic horror that is really not too integral to the plot by the film’s conclusion. The characters, which at face-value seem perfectly acceptable, instead end up being shallow and underdeveloped. The only thing really working to the film’s advantage is the sometimes stunning cinematography; but even this is wasted amidst a predictable, uninteresting storyline. What a shame to see such potential go to waste, and by one of the industry’s most celebrated directors at that.