Why Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley should win the Best Picture Oscar

On March 27, the 2022 Oscars will be held. Ten new films are being considered for Best Picture. Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, Dog PowerPlease see the following: West Side Story. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. However, any one of them could win the big prize. In the leadup to the Oscars, we’re making a case for why each of them might deserve to take the big prize. Next: Nightmare Alley.

WHAT’S THE MOVIE?

Nightmare Alley, directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on William Lindsay Gresham’s hit 1946 novel.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

It’s a lot like the 2022 Oscars peer West Side Story, Nightmare AlleyThis is the second film adaptation of a classic book. As the book and as the film that Tyrone Power starred in, it is also adapted. Nightmare AlleyStanton Carlisle, played by Bradley Cooper, is a con man and drifter. After working his way up in carnival ranks, he decides to start his own grift. This mentalism act plays to a more wealthy crowd. Stanton, who is forced into a game of wits against Dr. Lilith Ratter (Cate Blanchett), begins to set his sights higher and convince his fellow grifters that he could help them reconnect with loved ones. In his hubris, Stanton constructs a downfall that’s just as dramatic as his ascent.

WHAT’S THE CRED?

Guillermo del Toro was one of my favorite awards in recent years. Del Toro is a gifted fairy-tale writer who has specialized in the creation of dark stories for adults. Pan’s LabyrinthThe surprise 2017 Best Picture Award went to…, which is a very special personal subgenre. Water Shape. While Nightmare Alley is a departure from the monster movies he built his name on, it’s still a del Toro film through and through, with beguiling performances from leads Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, a rich supporting cast, and even richer production design full of practical effects and wonderfully moody lighting.

WHY IS IT A WINNER?

It’s easy to prefer Nightmare Alley over this year’s other nominees for purely aesthetic reasons. Del Toro was free to create the dark carnival of his dreams. Tamara Deverell, the production designer, created a world that is both real and ethereal. But Nightmare Alley also has a thematic resonance that can’t be ignored. The film makes a compelling case for its 2021 take on 1940s noir — a hypnotic work about lies and liars, Nightmare AlleyThis film is perfect for disillusioned moments when liars are abound and many ears want to hear their lies.

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

Nightmare AlleyThis slow-burn noir is about a man who gets worse. You may find it slow and tedious to follow the pacing. Also, its characters can seem opaque. Ultimately, Nightmare Alley is a challenging film to watch and think about, and some of that may fall on the filmmakers for the way they prioritize style over clarity — its characters’ knotty psychology can leave viewers with the dizzying feeling that not enough is happening, and also too much. While that’s arguably by design, the counter-argument is just as valid — especially when the film expands on the prior adaptation in some compelling directions, but leaves other parts of the story, like Rooney Mara’s Molly Cahill, woefully underexplored.

A GREAT Thing That No One Should Miss

Kerry Hayes, 20th Century Studios

There’s a lot to be said about Nightmare Alley’s visual aspects, but Nathan Johnson’s rich and haunting score should not be ignored. It’s a sweeping, lush sonic texture to match the film’s production design. The score provides another way for viewers to become lost during the film’s production. Nightmare Alley’s gradual descent into despair — one that also stands quite well on its own, should you want to cultivate an eerie vibe in your home.

WHERE DON’T I SEE IT?

Nightmare Alley Streaming is available on Hulu, HBO Max and Hulu. You can also stream the nominees on Hulu and HBO Max.

Previously:
Why Don’t Look Up deserves the Best Picture
It is important to understand why Dog Power He deserves the Best Picture
Why West Side Storydeserves the Best Picture
Why Belfastdeserves to be the Best Picture

Next stop:
Why King Richarddeserves the Best Picture