Like all of Del Toro's films, Nightmare Alley is a visual feast. The production design and cinematography transported me into his grim and glossy dystopian vision.
Also, the acting is some of the best I've seen in one of Del Toro's movies. Bradley Cooper gives perhaps his finest performance, and he sells every unsettling moment of this horrifying cautionary tale as his character is consumed by the consequences of his pride.
The best moments in this story really are some of the best scenes of the year, and they will stick with me for some time to come.
The film's biggest weakness is it's obviously bloated runtime. The second act really meanders and focuses on romantic subplots without giving us reasons to believe that the characters fall in love. A great deal of material should have been either explored more or cut altogether. As it stands, the center of this story is woefully half-baked.
Still, the production design and performances alone make this worth checking out. It really is something to behold.
