Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Crimson Peak’

Written by Scott Edwards 

​I was in need of a new horror movie and I stumbled across Crimson Peak to fill the void. Now, this is one that I wanted to see in the theaters, but I was not able to find anyone to go see it with, so I waited until I was able to find a smoking hot deal on the discs. I only knew a little bit about this movie from the trailers and seeing that Guillermo del Toro was the director, there was not much that could keep me from picking this up. 

Edith Cushing is an aspiring writer that is being held back from accomplishing her dream by one thing, she is a woman. Seeing how publishers react to hearing that she is the writer behind a strong ghost story, she is told to turn it into a love story, since that is what women are supposed to know more about. No longer taking this to heart, Edith edits her story and starts to transcribe it using a typewriter since her writing is very feminine. Little does she know that the man of her dreams will come knocking at her father’s door to try and get some respect of his own.

Thomas Sharpe is trying to design a new digging machine that will be able to bring clay to the surface faster than it ever has happened before and add this clay into the mix for new brick construction. Although Carter Cushing is intrigued by the idea, he will not allow his money to be a part of this, especially since Thomas has not appeared to have worked a hard day in his life. Sending Sharpe on his way, he sees that his daughter has taken a fancy to the man and will do everything in his power to keep her away, but Sharpe is able to woo Edith, especially when it comes to complimenting her writing style.

Trying to pay off Thomas and his sister Lucille to go back home, Carter writes a check that should help them develop the machine that they are looking to build, but before the night is out, Carter is bludgeoned to death. Now with no obstacles to stop their love, Edith and Thomas get married and move back in to his old family home at Allerdale Hall that sits atop a red clay mine. Although the house is in disarray, Edith makes the most of her time with her husband and his sister, but strange shapes start moving through the halls. With her love for ghost stories, Edith wants to know if there has been any murders in the house that could cause it to be haunted, but Thomas is not willing to comment on it either way. The more time Edith stays in the house, the ghostly presence of somebody not in this realm becomes stronger and she must find out what she can do to help them before Thomas and Lucille reveal their deep dark their deep dark secret. 

While it might not be a horror movie for every fan to go on raving about, it covers it basics and I enjoyed it. Without knowing what the true need for Edith is for the Sharpe’s, you get to see what happens in the house when the lights go out. I liked the drive that Thomas continued to show for his digging machine, especially after he was able to get it constructed and Lucille’s need for money was just fantastic. As Edith started to understand what her new family wanted from her, it is great to see the way that she continued to push back and with the secrecy around the house, how she was able to find out a few small clues to what is really happening there.  I must admit that when the ground turned blood red around the house, from the clay, I truly understood why this old house was called Crimson Peak and why Edith was warned to stay away from it when she was a child. Stay Scared.

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