Guillermo del Toro is an excellent film-maker, who has proven his vision and talent in his great dark fantasy films like Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, and his masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth.
With a cast full of excellent talent like Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and an inspired premise full of potential, the result really saddens me because it's much less than the sum of its parts and definitely the weakest of Del Toro's movies yet.
Despite its excellent visuals and great performances, it can't make up for the weak execution of the plot (which ends up being very predictable) and how tacked on the supernatural elements feel, in spite of their visual brilliance. It might be worth seeing still, but keep your expectations grounded.
Underwhelming
Guillermo del Toro is an excellent film-maker, who has proven his vision and talent in his great dark fantasy films like Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, and his masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth.
With a cast full of excellent talent like Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and an inspired premise full of potential, the result really saddens me because it's much less than the sum of its parts and definitely the weakest of Del Toro's movies yet.
Despite its excellent visuals and great performances, it can't make up for the weak execution of the plot (which ends up being very predictable) and how tacked on the supernatural elements feel, in spite of their visual brilliance. It might be worth seeing still, but keep your expectations grounded.