Nightmare Alley (2021)

Nightmare Alley

Searchlight Pictures/TSG Entertainment/Double Dare You Productions

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Release date: 12/17/2021

Academy Award® Best Picture Nominee Nightmare Alley Appears on Digital March 8 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on March 22

My Rating: 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating: 79%

Directed by

Guillermo del Toro

Screenplay by

Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan

Based on

Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham

Produced by

J. Miles Dale, Guillermo del Toro, Bradley Cooper

Starring

Bradley Cooper as Stanton "Stan" Carlisle

Cate Blanchett as Lilith Ritter

Rooney Mara as Mary Elizabeth "Molly" Cahill

Toni Collette as Zeena Krumbein

Willem Dafoe as Clement "Clem" Hoately

Richard Jenkins as Ezra Grindle

Ron Perlman as Bruno

David Strathairn as Peter "Pete" Krumbein

Mary Steenburgen as Felicia Kimball

Peter MacNeill as Judge Kimball

Holt McCallany as Anderson

Paul Anderson as Geek #1

Mark Povinelli as Major Mosquito

Jim Beaver as Sheriff Jedediah Judd

Clifton Collins Jr. as Funhouse Jack

Tim Blake Nelson as Carny Boss

David Hewlett as Dr. Elrood

Lara Jean Chorostecki as Louise Hoately

Stephen McHattie as Hobo #1

Dian Bachar as Fee Fee the Birdgirl

Cinematography

Dan Laustsen

Edited by

Cam McLauchlin

Music by

Nathan Johnson

Director Guillermo del Toro discusses Nightmare Alley

“I was very interested in a story about destiny and humanity. Stanton Carlisle is a man who is given all the elements to change his life. He has people who believe in him, who love him and trust him. Yet his drive and his own hubris are so strong that they turn him away from that.”

Cate Blanchett who plays Doctor Lilith Ritter discusses Nightmare Alley

“NIGHTMARE ALLEY is about fear, about greed, and it’s about manipulation. It has all the dark underpinnings of what seems to be a very polite society. The world of the carnival might have some trickery and deceit, but it has the beating heart of a true community. It is the high society in this film that is far more threatening and terrifying,”

Bradley Cooper who plays Stanton Carlisle talks about working with Director Guillermo del Toro

“As an actor, you need to believe your character’s circumstances, because if I believe them, then chances are you're going to believe them.  Guillermo and I talked endlessly about the character, and we placed him as coming from Canton, Mississippi, so that was the start.  It was really once I unlocked his voice that I felt the rest of the character was there.”

“Undoubtedly the best environment to create is one where the director opens up the gates to everybody's potential. When people feel safe, they will take risks and really start to show their souls. That was the atmosphere of NIGHTMARE ALLEY, and the cast that Guillermo brought together was just insanely inspiring.”

Toni Collette who plays Zeena ‘The Seer’ Krumbein discusses the Carnival World

“The carnival world is a magnet for the person who doesn’t feel they belong anywhere. Yet, they somehow cling together and create something exciting from within themselves. There’s a real beauty and unity to their world. As in any family they can also get on each other’s nerves! I found it a fascinating world…and not too different from the filmmaking world.”

David Strathairn describes his character Pete Krumbein 

“I think Pete was a youngster dazzled by a carnival when it came to his town, and trained to be a magician.  He wanted to be somebody who could tantalise a crowd and elevate himself to a life of grandeur, but instead ends up using alcohol as a way of quieting his conscience.”

“Pete knows that his day is over, but I think what he wants most right now is to know that Zeena’s going to be okay. When he sees Stan and Zeena together he thinks, for her sake, I hope this is

good.”

Willem Dafoe describes his character Clem Hoatley, The Carnival Barker

“He has a bit of a conman in him, too, and he wants to make a dollar. But there's a sweet side to Clem as well, where he feels responsible for his carnival family.

“I think he sees that Stanton is a little off, he's a little on the make, but Clem also recognizes himself in Stanton."

“A guy like Clem has been around, he's probably done time, he’s had to scrape to get by, and he knows what that’s like, so he’s willing to help Stanton.”

“It’s pretty rough stuff, the way he creates the carnival geek.”

“But I think what interested Guillermo most about the carnival world is the codes they live by. And Clem does have a code. He’s not a totally bad guy. He takes care of his people, but he's also very pragmatic and he’s a survivor.”

Richard Jenkins describes his character Ezra Grindle

“A man with lots of money but not a lot of happiness. He lives with constant guilt and pain, and he’s looking for someone who can tell him it’s all OK and he’s forgiven.”

Ron Perlman describes his character Bruno

“He has been a true father figure to Molly.  He sees that Molly has a kind of goodness that stands out in this world of decay.”

Mark Povinelli describes his character Major Mosquito

“The true patriarchs of this carnival. Many people come and people go, but they’re lifers. So, they feel that it’s their job to give a bit of side-eye to anyone new who comes in, like Stanton. The Major sizes him up pretty quickly as someone not to be trusted.”

“I was very interested in a story about destiny and humanity. Stanton Carlisle is a man who is given all the elements to change his life. He has people who believe in him, who love him and trust him. Yet his drive and his own hubris are so strong that they turn him away from that.”