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Nightmare Alley

Name: Nightmare Alley
Released: 2021-12-02T00:00:00.000000Z
Rating: 6.9

Man or beast.

2021 • 151 min • ★ 6.9 (3,478) • Released

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.

Homepage ↗ IMDb ↗

Original title: Nightmare Alley
Language: EN
Country: US
Budget: $60,000,000
Revenue: $39,629,195

Reviews & Ratings 6

misubisu

Nov 11, 2025 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

## **Nightmare Alley (2021) Review: A Gorgeous, Grim descent That Lacks a Final Punch** Guillermo del Toro’s *Nightmare Alley* is a masterclass in atmosphere and aesthetic storytelling. This is del Toro at his most refined, trading the supernatural for a different kind of monster; the human soul. From the rain-slicked, carnival's ground mud to the cold, art deco opulence of a high-society psychiatrist's office, every frame is a painting dripping with mood and foreboding. The script, co-written by del Toro himself, is a sharp and cynical dissection of ambition, grift, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. It is, without a doubt, a compelling and beautifully crafted film. Bradley Cooper delivers a career-high performance as Stanton Carlisle, a man whose entire existence becomes a performance. His descent from a blank slate to a cunning "mentalist" to a man consumed by his own con is mesmerising to watch. The supporting cast is equally stellar, with Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, and Willem Dafoe creating a rich tapestry of damaged souls in the carnival's orbit, while Cate Blanchett arrives in the second act like a venomous, perfect storm as the psychologist Lilith Ritter. And yes, **in spite of Stanton Carlisle always having a lit cigarette in hand (or mouth) becoming a near-comical visual motif**, the film maintains its grip. The smoke practically functions as a character, shrouding his intentions and symbolising the toxic haze of his ambitions. **But... it couldn't garner another 3 points, because...** For all its impeccable craft, *Nightmare Alley* maintains a chilling, intellectual distance that prevents it from achieving true, gut-wrenching greatness. The film is a meticulously constructed engine of doom you can see every gear turning, every fateful decision leading inexorably to the devastating, yet telegraphed, finale. While this makes for a compelling tragedy in the classical sense, it lacks a certain raw, unpredictable humanity that would make the emotional plunge as deep as the visual and thematic one. You admire Stanton's downfall; you don't always feel it in your bones. The relentless grimness, while thematically appropriate, becomes a weight that numbs rather than devastates. The journey is so clearly and artfully mapped from the start that the destination, for all its power, feels more like a foregone conclusion than a shocking revelation. ### The Verdict **7/10 - A Stunning, Flawed Masterpiece** *Nightmare Alley* is a film to be admired, studied, and absorbed for its breathtaking craft and unwavering commitment to its dark vision. It is a superior piece of filmmaking from one of our most distinct auteurs. However, its clinical precision and emotionally reserved core keep it from being a film you love, instead making it one you deeply respect. It’s a beautiful, haunting carousel ride that you’re glad you took, but whose grim predictability leaves you just slightly less shaken than it clearly intends to.

The Movie Mob

Aug 20, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 3.0

**RUN! Save yourselves!** The cinematography makes this movie lovely to watch while being miserable to experience. Filled with amazing actors trying to make sense of a film riddled with plot holes and disappointment. I was hoping for a good Del Toro horror movie and sadly was met with a poorly executed mystery romp... spent the whole movie hoping the ending would somehow save it... and sadly, it did not.

CinemaSerf

Jul 7, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

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.

beyondthecineramadome

Jun 20, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 5.0

Full review: <a>https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/the-spook-show-must-go-on-nightmare-alley-review<a> Writer and director Guillermo del Toro has built his career on monster movies. He’s filled them with the Pale Man, the Crimson Woman, a fish man, all creatures you don’t want to find yourself alone with at night. And yet, time and again, del Toro shows us that the real monsters, the things that should scare us the most, are our fellow humans.

r96sk

Feb 4, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 10.0

This is great! I loved it! <em>'Nightmare Alley'</em> is a superb watch! I particularly enjoyed the beginning and end, which are truly excellent; the middle part isn't as strong, but is still top notch in its own right. I love the dark atmosphere it sets from the get-go, the sound design is outstanding - some bits are so striking and I love it! It has a quality, engrossing story to boot. Bradley Cooper leads the cast with quality, though he isn't even the sole standout of the film. He is joined by a whole host of terrific performers: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, David Strathairn ... I could go on, simply phenomenal casting! I wanted more of them all, and yet felt I got the perfect amount too. The 150 minute run time went by incredibly quickly for me; if I hadn't known it was on for that long, I would never have guessed its length to be anywhere near that. It's a slow burn, but a slow burn done tremendously. Guillermo del Toro - this is the first film of his I've seen - & Co. did a super job, I have no complaints at all. I was toying for ages between a 9 or a 10 rating, it just about creeps its way into the latter. Just brilliant. Go watch!

Chris Sawin

Dec 13, 2021 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

The duration of _Nightmare Alley_ may seem like a slog even as you’re watching it. On one hand, your mindset is essentially, “How many times do I have to watch Bradley Cooper read a book and point at his temple over and over for two and a half hours?” But _Nightmare Alley_ is expertly crafted in a way that every sequence feels relevant later on and it leaves you with a lot to ponder after it ends. It’s a beautiful film with an incredible cast full of strong performances from del Toro regulars. It may feel like an extreme case of a slow burn, but it’s also a rare instance where it’s worth your valuable time and the investment. The audience being in on the con from the start makes you feel like part of the carny family. At this point in his illustriously hellish career, _Nightmare Alley_ is arguably Guillermo del Toro’s best written film. **Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/12/13/nightmare-alley-review-a-murky-noir-that-tinkers-with-greatness/

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 22

1940s alcoholic based on novel or book carnival carny con artist freak show fugitive grifter hustler infidelity lie love triangle mentalist mentor murder neo-noir séance spiritism supernatural tarot cards violence

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Cast 39

Bradley Cooper

Stanton Carlisle

Cate Blanchett

Dr. Lilith Ritter

Toni Collette

Zeena the Seer

Willem Dafoe

Clem Hoatley

Richard Jenkins

Ezra Grindle

Rooney Mara

Molly Cahill

Ron Perlman

Bruno

Mary Steenburgen

Mrs. Kimball

David Strathairn

Pete

Mark Povinelli

The Major

Peter MacNeill

Judge Kimball

Holt McCallany

Anderson

Paul 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

Caleb Ellsworth-Clark

Drunk #1

Dian Bachar

Fee Fee the Birdgirl

Troy James

The Snake Man

Jesse Buck

Geek #2

Perry Mucci

Hotel Manager

Bill MacDonald

Stanton’s Dad

Dan Lett

Deputy #1

Martin Julien

Bus Station Shaving Man

Natalie Brown

Lilith’s Receptionist

Daniel Falk

Patron #1

Tim Post

Armed Guard #1

Will Conlon

Armed Guard #2

Stephen McHattie

Hobo #1

James Collins

Train Yard Man

Danny Waugh

Piano Player

Calvin Desautels

Policeman

Linden Porco

Brofo the Small

Dani Klupsch

Geek Pit Patron

Clyde Whitham

Geek Pit Patron

Romina Power

Party Guest (uncredited)

Keith Lukowski

Security Guard (uncredited)

Crew 33

Shane Vieau

Set Decoration

Dan Laustsen

Director of Photography

Luis Sequeira

Costume Design

Jordan Samuel

Makeup Artist

Morag Ross

Makeup Artist

Christina Pitts Jazzar

Associate Choreographer

Anna Krempholtz

Scenic Artist

Jamie Jones

Stunt Coordinator

Dan Skene

Stunt Double

Erik Schultz

Stunt Double

Mike Chute

Stunt Double

Sean Skene

Stunt Double

Stephannie Hawkins

Stunt Double

Al Vrkljan

Stunt Driver

Erik Schultz

Stunt Driver

AJ Risi

Stunts

Blair Johannes

Stunts

Gabrielle-Anne Désy

Stunts

Justin Howell

Stunts

Nick Alachiotis

Stunts

Krystle Ferdinand

Assistant Director

Guillermo del Toro

Director

Bruce Winant

ADR Voice Casting

Dann Fink

ADR Voice Casting

Bradley Cooper

Producer

Guillermo del Toro

Producer

J. Miles Dale

Producer

Goro Koyama

Foley Artist

Nathan Johnson

Original Music Composer

Dennis Berardi

Visual Effects Supervisor

William Lindsay Gresham

Novel

Guillermo del Toro

Screenplay

Kim Morgan

Screenplay

Gallery

228

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US Release Dates 8

Dec 1, 2021

New York, NY

Premiere

Dec 17, 2021

R Theatrical

Jan 14, 2022

black-and-white version / NYC and LA

R Theatrical (Limited)

Jan 28, 2022

black-and-white version

R Theatrical

Feb 1, 2022

R Digital

Feb 5, 2022

HBO

R TV

Mar 22, 2022

R Physical

Oct 28, 2025

Hulu (black and white version)

R Digital