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Del Toro at his "Peak"

Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak" is a gorgeous, blood-red treat of a movie that will thrill fans of the filmmaker's darker offerings.  Happily, this Grand Guignol fairy tale arrives just in time for Halloween, and those who look forward to a frisson or two at the cinema this time of year will be well satisfied by it. "Crimson Peak" is a lush and stylish retelling of the "Bluebeard" story, wherein a woman marries a mysterious man, is overcome by her curiosity, and discovers dark and terrible secrets hidden away in a forbidden chamber in his castle.

Del Toro sets his tale in the latter part of the 19th century and takes his visual cues from the influences of the day; Pre-Raphaelite jewel tones, William Morris florals, and prismlike Tiffany glass abound. Early scenes take place in palatial mansions trimmed with exotic woodwork and gleaming marble. Even the commercial offices of the day exhibit a sense of luxury, and characters are always dressed to the nines whether they are conducting business, attending lavish parties, or practicing social one-upmanship. The director shows an unexpected flair for the comedy of manners nuance underpinning "Crimson Peak"'s early scenes, including a Cinderella-esque arrival at a society ball, and a very charmingly-staged waltz that sets in motion the film's central relationship.

The story's leading lady is Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska, "Stoker"), daughter to one of the era's self-made millionaires, but closer in spirit to a Jane Austen heroine from an earlier time.  She's bookish and self-possessed, hard at work on a manuscript that she dreams of submitting for publication; naturally, it's a ghost story. Having lost her mother as a child she's close with her father, played by veteran character actor Jim Beaver ("Deadwood", "Supernatural") who turns in perhaps the most nuanced performance in the film. He is loving and protective with Edith, and he makes a quick and canny assessment of the mysterious Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston, "The Avengers") who arrives seeking investment capital for a mining operation on his family's estate in England. Thomas appears smitten with Edith and she succumbs to his romantic overtures, despite being put off by the oddly portentous behavior of his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"). Even the stalwart attentions of would-be beau Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam, "Sons of Anarchy") aren't enough to dissuade Edith; she finds herself in Thomas's arms when an unexpected tragedy occurs, and soon she's a shy bride arriving on the doorstep of the massive, crumbling English estate that is the Sharpe family barony. Cue the ghostly visions, hints of terrible family secrets, and subtle and not so subtle warnings that curiosity about either could prove to be deadly.

Viewers familiar with the Bluebeard tale will more or less know where the story is going, and Mr. del Toro pilots it there with style. The symbolic elements of the Bluebeard story - castle, keys, blood - are employed to great effect. The film's palette is almost its own character. The traditional fairy tale triad of red/white/black is woven throughout, with scarlet cues appearing over and over: it's the color of the family ring that Thomas gifts to Edith for their wedding, it's the riotous shade of the satin gown in which Lucille makes her first appearance, and it's the color of the ore being mined on the Sharpe family estate. There the red element seeps into everything, running like blood throughout the veins of the house, tinting Edith's bathwater, and staining the winter snow to give the estate, and thus the film, its name. "Crimson Peak" maintains these traditions while also adding some unexpected facets to the story, particularly in the character of Lucille. Ms. Chastain has great fun with her character's varying emotions and motivations, and viewers will be kept guessing as she exhibits fierce protectiveness of her brother and concern for the family's holdings, and alternates between animosity and overweening attention toward Edith.

All of the acting in "Crimson Peak" is spot-on. Mia Wasikowska continues to exhibit a knack for selecting unexpected projects, and "Crimson Peak" joins the neo-gothic "Stoker" and the modern vampire tale "Only Lovers Left Alive" as another solid genre entry on her resume. Here she ably holds the story's center as an unflappable heroine in the best gothic tradition. "Crimson Peak" also reunites Ms. Wasikowska with Tom Hiddleston. The pair worked beautifully together in "Only Lovers" and they are equally believable here as a couple drawn together by dramatic circumstance and pulled into a relationship fraught with dark drama, terrible lies, and the threat of bloody consequences. The characters in "Crimson Peak" are primarily archetypes, but all of the actors find some depth in their roles, and everyone handles the shifts in pitch from conspiratorial whispers to full-on screaming fights to the death with aplomb.

Mr. del Toro clearly loves a good horror story, and "Crimson Peak" is that. It's a beautiful film to watch, and while the story has slow points, there's so much to see in every frame that viewers likely won't ever be bored. It's absolutely worth noting the art direction here. That work in the film's second half is particularly stunning, and genre fans will feast on the crumbling edifices of the Sharpe family mansion where bare rafters rising above the cavernous entryway allow the elements in, and the juxtaposition of swirling autumn leaves or falling snowflakes against the ruined luxury of the building's interior is breathtaking. Of course the mansion hides a scarlet secret, and the scenes of Edith braving the confines of the basement and discovering vats of the crimson ore are simultaneously creepy and gorgeous. "Crimson Peak" will be richly satisfying to fans of Guillermo del Toro's work, and to anyone who enjoys a good old-fashioned haunted house movie. It's a great pick for Halloween season, bringing an equal mix of tricks and treats.