Movie Review: Crimson Peak
Like most women with blood pumping through their veins, I love Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Hunnam. Loki and Jax Teller are favorites of mine so I was already so excited about this movie. Guillermo del Toro was a huge bonus.
Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, the daughter of businessman Carter Cushing (the amazing Jim Beaver) and aspiring novelist. She's immediately intrigued when a young and devilishly handsome Thomas Sharpe arrives to sell his machinery idea to Edith's father. We're introduced to Thomas's sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) and she's super creepy, like a bird ready to peck anyone's eyes out at any second.
I'm putting a break here because, unlike the majority of my reviews, this is a new movie and a mainstream movie that you may not want to be spoiled. So... break!
Mr. Cushing does some sleuthing about the Sharpe's and calls them both into his study. He expresses displeasure with Thomas's continued social interaction with Edith. He wants Thomas to break Edith's heart and leave America. During dinner, Thomas announces he and Lucille will be returning to London. Edith leaves the table and Thomas chases after her, starting to accuse her of not knowing anything about life or love. After he calls her a spoiled child, she slaps him in front of everyone and runs upstairs.
It's after this that we have our first death in the movie, well aside from Edith's mother. While attempting to shave, Mr. Cushing is killed by a leather-glove-wearing man, who, from behind has a striking resemblance to Thomas.
Thomas leaves a letter with Edith's manuscript, letting her know that he was blackmailed by her father. After they spend some time kissing in public (which should have been outrageous at the time), she is informed of her father's death. I can honestly say that due to recent happenings, I found myself tearing up at the scene that followed.
Thomas brings his new wife Edith home to his creeptastical abode, complete with syrup-seeping floorboards and nonexistent ceiling. Edith befriends a little Papillion outside and asks Thomas if she can keep him. The house is like a character all on its own and I'd never ever set a foot inside this place. Nope. Nope. Nope. As Edith is taking a bath, a phantom creature approaches down the hall and seems to scream for her, but when she turns, it's gone. This one is red, not black like her mother's phantom.
Thomas keeps working on his machine while Edith is constantly seeing phantoms. I can honestly say that I jumped a few times, even slightly cried out once and for some reason ripped my glasses off my face. The phantom even took time to take a soothing bath just before walking after her holding a butcher knife and telling Edith, "Edith, his blood will be on your hands." A conversation between Thomas and Lucille reveals that the red phantom is in fact their mother. Thomas takes Edith out for some fresh air and they end up staying the night away from the house.
Lucille does not like that they spent the night away from the house. Really doesn't like it.
Edith finds evidence of Thomas's past wives and one of them lays everything out. All Thomas wants is their money for his machine. They're poisoning the tea.
While Lucille feeds Edith poisoned porridge, she recounts how she took care of their mother in the very same bed. Thomas tells Edith not to drink any of the tea and snaps at Lucille.
Edith is directed by the phantom of Thomas's wife and child to the room where Thomas and Lucille are together, in no way siblings should be. Lucille attacks Edith and pushes her over the balcony.
Luckily, Dr. McMichael (Hunnam) shows up. He sets her leg and tries to rescue her. Lucille and Thomas stop them from leaving. McMichael tells Edith about how their mother had drown in the tub. As he starts toward the door with Edith, Lucille stabs him. She makes Thomas finish him off and when out of earshot of his sister, he asks the doctor where he should stab him. Thomas then takes McMichael downstairs and tells him that as soon as Edith signs the papers, she'll be dead. He asks if the good doc can hold on until he gets back with Edith.
Lucille reveals that the baby had been hers and the woman had tried to save it. She gets her to sign her name on the papers and then Edith asks her who killed her father. It was Lucille. Edith stabs her and runs away, running right into Thomas. He explains everything though and tells her to wait in the elevator for him. Confronting Lucille ends with Thomas getting stabbed twice in the chest and once in the face. Who stabs someone in the face???? Especially your brother/lover. He dies.
She goes after Edith and eventually gets distracted by Thomas's ghostie and gets a shovel to the face.
It was beautiful, creepy, and romantically scary. I would very much recommend this movie.
Moral of this movie: Tom Hiddleston's butt is totally worth his sister's craziness.
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