21 May 2024

Review: Crimson Peak Limited Edition 4K UHD

4K UHD Blu-ray: Crimson Peak (2015)

Guillermo del Toro is a name that movie fans and more so, horror fans, will know very well as the goblin king of gothic horror. I’ve been a huge fan of his work since Cronos changed the vampire mythos back in 1993 and ever since then he has made some stunning fantasy and horror films.

Crimson Peak weaves the tale of a shadowy brother and sister ‘Thomas & Lucille Sharpe’; played by the rakish Tom Hiddleston and the beautifully cold Jessica Chastain, who lure the daughter of a wealthy American businessman to their crumbling English mansion where all kinds of spindly ghouls haunt the rooms of the house and slowly a story of murder and betrayal unravels. Mia Wasikowska plays ‘Edith Cushing’, the said daughter, who has a knack of seeing ghosts, and anymore plot than that is spoiling the treats in store.

The stars of this film are quite clearly the set designers and Del Toro’s imagination. The ghosts specifically…there are no floating white sheet’s here, these are ‘Del Toro’ ghosts, played by ACTORS IN SUITS!!!! A light dusting of CGI to make them as terrifying as possible, they obviously suffered violent deaths and these are hands down the best ghosts I’ve seen in cinema since Ghostbusters. They shudder around in the shadows and creep behind slightly open doors. Awesome stuff. The violence is here too and one specific scene is brutal enough to warrant this an 18 certificate but somehow it manages only a 15!

The whole composition is a thing or intricate beauty. Nobody else makes films like this that look and feel so otherworldly. From his masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth to the hugely underrated Blade 2, the attention to detail is what puts his films in a category of their own. Crimson Peak is a gothic masterpiece that stands proudly alongside Guillermo del Toro’s best work and looks absolutely sumptuous in this 4K UHD release, the crimson of the title bursting from the screen as vivid as I’ve ever seen it, while the special features will keep you entertained and informed for many hours.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), approved by director Guillermo Del Toro
Original 7.1 DTS:X and 2.0 DTS Headphone:X audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Optional Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) for the visually impaired
Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo del Toro
The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak, a feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and extensive behind the scenes footage
Spanish language interview with Guillermo del Toro
The Gothic Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set; four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall
A Primer on Gothic Romance, the director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance
The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak, the cast and crew talk about the film’s use of colour
Hand Tailored Gothic, a featurette on the film’s striking costumes
A Living Thing, a look at the design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets
Beware of Crimson Peak, a walking tour around Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston
Crimson Phantoms, a featurette on the film’s amazing ghosts
Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance, an interview with the author and critic
Violence and Beauty in Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films, a video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger
Deleted scenes
Image gallery
Original trailers and TV spots
Double-sided, fold-out poster
Four double-sided postcards
Limited edition packaging designed by Crimson Peak concept artist Guy Davis
Limited edition 80-page, hard-bound book featuring writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with Guillermo del Toro, and original conceptual design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni