Nightmare Alley UHD Review

Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro’s follow-up to his Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water, is a darkly disturbing but at times brilliant noir thriller about a carny’s rise to fame and eventual downfall.

The Production: 3.5/5

After dumping what appears to be a body in the floorboards of a house and then setting it on fire, Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) hops a bus with its final destination a traveling carnival. He witnesses a sideshow hosted by Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe) in which a “geek” (Paul Anderson) bites the head off a live chicken. Backing out before paying the admission fee, Stanton is confronted by strong man Bruno (Ron Perlman), but Clem offers Stanton a temporary job to help them move the carnival to their next location in exchange for five bucks and a hot meal. This leads to regular work, helping out around the carnival, with former mentalist Pete (David Strathairn) and Zeena the Seer (Toni Collette) taking him under their wing and showing him the ropes of their act in hopes of one day passing the torch to Stanton. But Stanton has his eyes on Molly (Rooney Mara), a girl who performs in the electric shock sideshow, and after Stanton applies his new talents to save the carnival from the very conservative Sheriff Judd (Jim Beaver) shutting them down for indecency, he takes Molly with her to start out on his own. Two years later, Stanton and Molly are performing to sold out crowds in Chicago, with Stanton wowing the audience with his ability to “see” the contents of purses or inscriptions on watches while blindfolded. The act catches the eye of psychologist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), who introduces Stanton to Judge Kimball (Peter MacNeill), whose wife is a patient of hers who is desperately seeking closure from her son’s death while stationed overseas. Stanton sees this as a way to earing big money for his act, hustling grieving family members seeking to communicate with lost loved ones, something Pete and Zeena had warned him about. The hustle becomes even more lucrative when his ability attracts the attention of powerful Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins), who wants to speak to his lost lover Dory. The stakes become increasingly higher despite all the warnings, and if you know what type of movie this is (and familiar with director Guillermo del Toro’s work), you know where this story is headed.

I have never seen the original 1947 movie version of Nightmare Alley, nor am I familiar with the source novel by William Lindsay Gresham, but the material is nearly tailor-made for del Toro, with its carnival freaks and dark-arcing story. With the possible exception of Molly, there are no redeeming characters in the film – everyone is a despicable low-life, with Dafoe’s Clem as possibly the worst who, in a flashback, reveals to Stanton how he finds the geeks for his show, while Zeena and Pete prey on the emotionally hurt (and Zeena is not exactly faithful to Pete, either), as do Stanton and Dr. Ritter. Del Toro is working with a top-notch cast, much as he did with his previous film The Shape of Water, and as expected, the film is a visual feast. It is the unredeeming and unrelatable characters and the underdeveloped subplot with Dr. Ritter that, unfortunately, bring this movie down a few notches.

Video: 5/5

3D Rating: NA

Nightmare Alley was captured at 6.5k and 4.5k resolutions on Arri Alexa 65, LF, and Mini LF cameras, then completed as a 4K digital intermediate in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This is a truly gorgeous transfer, presented on this UHD disc in 2160p and HDR10 high dynamic range. The palette in this color version (del Toro also created a black and white version that is not included in this release) leans towards browns and yellows, and there is a larger range of those color gradients on display here, as well as vivid colors, particularly red, used for emphasis. Detail is exceptional, especially the intricate textures of fabrics and carved woodworking of the period costumes and production design. Contrast is also extraordinary, providing deep blacks with strong shadow detail.

Audio: 5/5

The default Dolby Atmos track is subtle but effective for a film of this genre. It is never showy, but yet very immersive in its spaciousness. Atmospherics like raindrops can be heard on the ceiling or wind during some of the exteriors. Sounds travel seamlessly with precision placement within the listening environment. LFE is used sparingly where needed for emphasis. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.

Special Features: 2.5/5

The rather minimal set of extras can be found on the included Blu-ray edition.

Del Toro’s Neo Noir (1080p; 11:14): A look at the characters, story, and vision by the director.

Beneath the Tarp (1080p; 8:29): A look at the film’s production design.

What Exists in the Fringe (1080p; 5:23): A look at costume design.

Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy in UHD on Movies Anywhere.

Overall: 4/5

Nightmare Alley is a darkly disturbing noir film from Guillermo del Toro that is not for everyone. The presentation on the UHD disc is outstanding, though.

Nightmare Alley [4K UHD]

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Todd Erwin

Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.