The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Guillermo Del Toro Turns to Dark Crime in New Trailer for ‘Nightmare Alley’

By Matthew Denis Published September 23, 2021

Bradley Cooper creeps up behind Willem Dafoe — just two of the star-studded cast in Guillermo del Toro's "Nightmare Alley." — Bradley Cooper creeps up behind Willem Dafoe — just two of the star-studded cast in Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley.” Searchlight Pictures

From trolls to vampire hunters and from giant, robotic sea monsters to mythic Amazon River deities, director Guillermo del Toro’s name is associated with some of the 21st century’s most fantastic screenplays. Don’t look for any spooky specters in the Sept. 16 Nightmare Alley trailer, though. According to the director, the new film will stay true to its dark crime roots, even if there remains a hint of magic.

Recommended Videos

“This has no supernatural element,” del Toro told Vanity Fair. “It’s based completely in a reality world. There is nothing fantastic. It’s a very different movie from my usual, but yes, the title and my name would create that [impression].”

After his The Shape of Water won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, it’s no surprise the noir thriller set at a carnival features del Toro’s most star-studded cast yet.

Nightmare Alley’s trailer opens with Willem Dafoe introducing “one of the unexplained mysteries of the universe,” “man or beast” Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper). Turns out, Carlisle is a carny whose silver tongue and grifting tricks con millionaires out of their money.

Carlisle fixes up with psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), whose devious ways turn out to be far more dangerous than Carlisle’s scams. While Nightmare Alley may not feature any fantastic creatures, the dark trailer suggests a noir tale that follows a man gone off the rails.

Related Guides

The movie is based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of the same name. While the story was turned into a 1947 film, del Toro (along with co-writer Kim Morgan) draws primarily from Gresham’s graphic, psychological thriller elements, noting that he would not be using the movie as a source.

“I wanted to do the universe of the novel, which is a little gritty, but also strangely magical. It has a very strange, mystical allure — and mythical. I was very attracted to that possibility,” he said.

Given that we find Cooper-as-Carlisle asleep in the midst of flames at the end of Nightmare Alley’s trailer, the bleak thriller is sure to follow a twisted and R-rated storyline.

“Nightmare Alley” opens in theaters only on Dec. 17.

Read More: How To Travel Maine Like Stephen King

Former Freelance Writer

Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…

Topics

Auto News

Culture

10 cigar myths the internet won’t let die

The cigar 'facts' shared in every lounge that are actually complete BS

two men enjoying cigars

The internet has been such an asset to the cigar world. It allows us to look up obscure brands, communicate with fellow fans across the globe, and access a greater amount of information than ever before. There's a downside, though: rumors catch on like wildfire, and once they're out there, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.Visit any cigar lounge or read online forums, and you'll find the same tired myths that have been making the rounds for decades. While a few are harmless pieces of folklore, others are robbing you of your hard-earned cash, ruining your smoking experience, or just flat-out lying to you about health hazards.Let's burn down those stubborn misconceptions once and for all.

Myth #1: Darker (Maduro) cigars are always more powerful

Culture

Cigar etiquette 101: Dos, don’ts, and modern manners

Please don't be that guy. Here are the cigar etiquette mistakes that scream 'amateur'

well-dressed guy smoking on a couch in the dark

Walking into a cigar lounge for the first time feels like crashing somebody's secret club. They've got this unspoken language, weird rituals, and enough unwritten rules to make your head spin! But here’s the thing—cigar etiquette is not some gatekeeping nonsense to try to make you look dumb. It's about respecting the process, the experience, and not being the person who ruins everyone else's vibe.Whether you're new to this or have been faking for years, this guide will sort you out because there's nothing more likely to ruin a good smoke than someone who clearly has no idea what they're doing.

The basics: Respecting the ritual

Culture

The first movie from Materialists director Celine Song just found a new streaming home

The movie is a brilliant look at the roads not taken.

The cast of Past Lives

Few directors have a debut feature that's as splashy as Celine Song's. The director, who now has Materialists in theaters, had a breakout hit at Sundance called Past Lives that took her all the way to the Oscars. Now that Materialists is in theaters and doing quite well, you might want to catch up with Past Lives, which was one of the best movies of 2023.

The film stars Greta Lee and is told in episodes that span more than 20 years. It starts in South Korea, and follows two Korean children who are clearly close friends and may even have a romantic spark as one of them prepares to move to Canada. Then, we follow their story over decades as they come into and out of each other's lives until they're both in their mid-30s and they reunite for a day in New York City.