Nightmare Alley

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1:39

Nightmare Alley

R

Released Dec 17, 2021

2h 30m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

80%

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357 Reviews

68%

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1,000+ Verified Ratings

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

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Critics Consensus

While it may not hit quite as hard as the original, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a modern noir thriller with a pleasantly pulpy spin.

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Audience Says

Stylish but slow, Nightmare Alley pays off with a powerful ending -- if you can hang in long enough to make it, that is.

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Caroline Siede

Fox 10 Phoenix

Though "Nightmare Alley" is too long and meandering to totally work as a cohesive film, theres no doubt it has images that will stick with you none more so than its haunting final shot.

Mar 26, 2022

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

The genuine, pleasant surprise for me was discovering truly what an unabashed, all-out noir it was. Blanchett's character, the big scheme, the hubris and pushing the scheme too far, the fatalism.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 10, 2022

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

The one to see is the one from 1947.

Jan 29, 2022

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Alexandra Parker

Mediaversity Reviews

Nightmare Alley had every opportunity to improve on the original film by portraying carnivals as the diverse places they are, with people from all walks of life. They didn’t.

Rated: D

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe all star in this cleverly crafted and very dark 1940s-set psychological thriller.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 17, 2025

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Playing out at the intersection of Uri Geller and Jim Thompson, "Nightmare Alley" is a dread-laden tale of broken souls and battered dreams against a dust-choked backdrop. A fascinating bit of fatalism from Guillermo del Toro.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 25, 2024

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Todd F

This was amazing seeing the black and white version of the film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Evan M

moody film noir by Del Toro

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/22

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Sean

one of the most incredible films I've ever seen and it looks even more stunning in black and white. This film noir centers around a drifter who joins a carnival in the late 1930s and learns the tricks of mentalism. His ambitions takes him to the big city where he meets a mysterious and beautiful psychiatrist who has a scheme to swindle some wealthy bigwigs. Things get dark as his web of lies comes crumbling down. Nightmare Alley has incredible performances across the board particularly by Blanchett, Cooper, and Jenkins, witty dialogue, stunning cinematography, and eye popping sets. I don't want to spoil anything but this is a compelling adult film that takes place in the past but also says a lot about the times we live in.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/22

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Brandon Richardson

Well crafted and well-performed, Nightmare Alley is a solid psychological thriller. The overlong runtime does make the plot seem more complex that it is, but beyond that, the cinematography is fantastic, and the production design is visually astounding. Cooper and Collette were astonishing, and Cate Blanchett stole the show.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/22

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Michael

Great mystery and thriller. 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/22

Full Review

justin r

Amazing set direction and story. A little long. Go for the set direction, stay for the ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/22

Full Review

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Guillermo del Toro

Director

Bradley Cooper

Stanton Carlisle

Rooney Mara

Molly Cahill

Cate Blanchett

Doctor Lilith Ritter

Ron Perlman

Bruno

Toni Collette

Zeena Krumbein

Nightmare Alley: Extended Preview

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Nightmare Alley: Featurette - A Troupe Beyond Compare

2:35

Nightmare Alley: Featurette - Is He Man, Or Beast?

2:48

'Nightmare Alley' Cast Say There Was "Nothing Artificial" About the Carnival Set

21:45

Nightmare Alley: Featurette - Neo Noir

2:43

Nightmare Alley: Final Trailer

1:39

Nightmare Alley: Teaser Trailer

1:38

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Synopsis

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, Bradley Cooper
Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Double Dare You, Searchlight Pictures
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Some Sexual Content|Strong/Bloody Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2021, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.3M
Runtime: 2h 30m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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