2021 · 150 min · Thriller, Crime, Drama
Nightmare Alley is Guillermo del Toro's dark, visually ravishing neo-noir about a charming but amoral carny (Bradley Cooper) who reinvents himself as a high-society mentalist and gets in over his head. An adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel (previously filmed in 1947), del Toro's version is a lush, sumptuous descent into corruption and self-destruction, anchored by an outstanding ensemble including Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.
Nightmare Alley (2021) is available to stream on Max.
Nightmare Alley is an adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel, which was previously filmed in 1947 with Tyrone Power. Del Toro's version is a more faithful and darker adaptation of the source material.
Nightmare Alley was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
Despite being directed by Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley is not a horror film. It is a noir thriller — dark, psychologically intense, and morally bleak, but not supernatural or scary in the horror sense.
The theatrical cut runs approximately 150 minutes. A director's cut also exists.