Nightmare Alley (2021)

spoiler alert!!!

I mean, right from the jump, something felt totally off when that little geek in the cage started muttering, "I'm not like this... I'm not like this..." You could just feel it. Then the breadcrumbs started piling up, one after another... but honestly? It still caught me off guard at the end. I really didn't want it to go down like that... despite everything

The ending is easily the best part of the movie. At least for me. Everything about it just felt like it was building toward that moment. Overall, it’s a solid film, and in a sea of total garbage, it's definitely worth your time.☕

wearywolf49 said:Perhaps there is a connection between "killing" one's parent during birth? In the story, Enoch essentially kills his mother due to complications during labor. Then you have Stan, who effectively kills his father during his own "rebirth"—shedding his old identity entirely to become someone else completely. It’s a transformation that the film eventually lays bare. 🤷

I had the exact same thought. In both cases, they essentially ended up causing their parents' deaths. Plus, the whole eye motif is woven through the entire film—from that house full of mirrors to his blindfold, right down to the blatant third eye imagery.

Patrick Martin said:I don't know, I'm being haunted by another thought. That actor playing Bradley Cooper is simply too talented to let his career end like this.

If he’s truly that much of a con artist—driven entirely by greed—then he could easily play the part. He’s handsome enough, sharp enough, and certainly manipulative enough to latch onto some wealthy widow. There are plenty of them scattered across America. He could just settle in and live a life of leisure. 🤷

And what exactly is he doing? He's just making his own life unnecessarily difficult.

I don't know. His trajectory feels a bit forced to me.

🤣 What on earth is going on?

ruggedtrucker3 said:I didn't see it that way. This feels way too much like a personal vendetta to be framed as "defending science." And don't even get me started on the collateral damage—people who had nothing to do with the whole mess. Even if we assume the main victim actually deserved what was coming, and sure, maybe the protagonist does too, what about everyone else? Plus, the motivation feels thin to me. There's a hint of it there, but it’s not fleshed out enough to justify those kinds of moves. Just my two cents, but I wasn't feeling it. Still, the movie's decent. Probably one of the better ones from 2021.

The victims Dr. Ritter hits directly are definitely the judge, his wife, and Ezra's guard, based on what the movie shows us. Yeah, the guard was just caught in the crossfire, but the judge's wife and Ezra were her actual patients. Maybe it's a personal grudge against them, and she's just using the mentalist to pull it off. Two birds, one stone. 🤷

It's definitely not fully explained, though. The focus is mostly on Stan.

ruggedtrucker3 said:It was so obvious, man. Everything pointed right to it, from that restaurant scene to that one specific line. It was crystal clear to me.

The booze, his pride about never drinking, the tickets, and that message his old man gave him at the carnival... honestly, the second he climbed into that truck with his wife and drove off, I knew exactly how this was gonna end.

Well, I didn't catch everything until the scene with the chickens in the train car. I guess I'm just slow. 🤣 But it was pretty clear to me that the judge's wife was gonna kill herself after he mentioned during the session how she and her son would be together again one day—I just didn't expect her to take out her husband too.

Which exact line are you talking about?

To was the phrase "poor soul" .
It felt somehow... fateful.

The movie was alright, but there were several elements that just didn't sit right with me.

1. Why on earth would anyone be foolish enough to keep all their liquid assets with a private individual? He could have easily just walked into a Chase branch and deposited the cash.

2. What actually happened with Molly? The two of them were alone... then he starts spending more and more time with the doctor and Ezra... and she just decides to walk out on him? For what reason?

3. The downward spiral felt far too rushed. I mean, the guy is living the high life, flush with cash... and then overnight he's broke and a fugitive from the law. Yet, we don't see any actual psychological decay at all. He basically grows a beard overnight and trades his watch for a single sip of whiskey. It was way too fast; incredibly unconvincing and frantic. 👎

Just a decent film, sister.

placidcrane102 said:And I just couldn't wrap my head around everything until that scene with the chickens in the train car. I guess I'm just slow.🤣 But it was pretty obvious to me that the judge's wife was going to kill herself once he brought up during the session how she and her son would be reunited one day, I just didn't expect her to take out her husband too.

Not sure which exact line you're talking about?

Right at the start of the movie, he joins them to catch that geek, shows him some sympathy, and gets him hooked. Then, by the time he reaches the cage, he hears him saying something like "this isn't me," or something along those lines—I don't remember the exact wording.

After that, he's showing interest again at the restaurant, acting all shocked and amazed that someone could actually become a geek, while the guy played by Defoe proudly explains how easy it really is.

Those two scenes... they were the moments where I thought to myself, man, this guy could totally end up as a geek himself because of his whole messed up relationship with booze. The movie kept leaning into that, and I was 1000% certain the big payoff would happen at the hotel when those old carnival friends drop in and he starts pulling cards and telling him there's still time.

goldenhound32

I'm with you. It really drags down the quality of the film, honestly. The motivations and actions for some of these characters just don't land. Like, leaving money behind for someone you just met—someone you literally just admitted is as shady as you are? That makes zero sense. Why trust him? Especially when you've already seen proof that he's willing to betray anyone, even his own patients. It just doesn't track.

That hotel scene where Zeena was doing the tarot reading totally hinted at his downfall, even if it wasn't exactly how it played out. I kept hoping he'd just bail before things got ugly, but honestly, with karma being what it is, I figured he was destined to get wrecked by Ezra once everything came crashing down. That psychologist warning him over the phone that Ezra was a dangerous guy really sealed the deal for me.

I just stepped out of the theater, and honestly, I can’t seem to shake the feeling. It was a damn good film, and I feel completely saturated by the style of Del Toro. 🙂

That said, I am still completely baffled by the psychologist at the end. How did that even happen? What was her motivation? Why on earth would she act like that? 🤔

Patrick Martin said:SPOILER ALERT!!!

I don't know, I'm getting hung up on something else again. That actor playing Bradley Cooper is just way too talented to end up like this.

If he’s really that much of a con artist—driven by nothing but pure greed—he could easily play the part. He's handsome enough and smart enough to pull it off. He’d just charm his way into some wealthy widow's life, and since America is practically crawling with them, he'd be set for life. 🤷

What is he even doing? He’s just making his own life a living hell for absolutely no reason.

I don't know, his whole trajectory feels a little forced to me.

The guy is probably one of the most wanted men in the country right now—partly due to the manipulation, the murders, and those attempted killings. And we aren't just talking about random street thugs; he’s clearly targeting high-profile figures. Honestly, what kind of life can you even lead like that? Not to mention the total mental breakdown; at one point, the man lost everything in the most brutal way possible. Getting played at his own game like that? It definitely doesn't do wonders for your self-esteem. 😬

It’s a solid film—certainly a massive step up from that fish nonsense Del Toro gave us. It drags in parts, though, and I found the opening to be pretty sluggish. As for the romance between Mar and him? That was easily the weakest link. It felt like two people only stuck together because they’re both attractive. They didn't put nearly enough work into her character. The rest of the movie holds up well, especially that ending. The cinematography is gorgeous and the acting is top-tier. Honestly, Cate can play cold-blooded better than anyone else in Hollywood. I disagree with your take on her character, though; I don't see any of those motivations you're claiming, especially regarding the science aspect. 🤣

Her character is exactly what Stan puts it: "no good." At first, I actually found her interesting, and honestly, I thought he might be able to just stay off her radar. But in my opinion, everything shifted the second she caught him taking that key impression. That was her cue to jump into the game and tear his life apart. She’s just pure evil—a far more dangerous manipulator than even our main protagonist.

goldenhound32 said:The movie was alright, but there were definitely parts that just didn't sit right with me.

Why on earth would anyone be foolish enough to hand over their entire life savings to some private individual? It’s pure insanity. They could have easily just walked into a Chase branch and deposited the cash themselves.

What actually happened with Molly? They were alone together... he started hanging out more and more with the doctor and Ezra... and now she’s just deciding to walk out on him? Why?

The third act's "downfall" was way too rushed. We’re talking about a guy who’s living the high life, money coming in from every direction—and then, suddenly, he loses everything overnight and becomes a fugitive? It makes zero sense. Even worse, there's absolutely no visible psychological breakdown. One minute he's successful, the next he's grown a full beard and is trading his luxury watch just for a single sip of whiskey. It happened way too fast. It felt completely unconvincing and incredibly rushed. 👎

Just a decent enough movie, honestly. Not much else to say.

It’s because his ego was through the roof. He honestly thought he had that doctor completely figured out—like she wasn't even a threat to him. And why didn't he just go to the bank? Because if things went south and he ended up getting screwed over, he wanted to make sure he still had a way to protect his cash.

2. There are several reasons for this. First off, he’s overcompensating in their relationship—it’s obvious from the first ten minutes they start living together. I don't know how you missed that; she’s constantly dropping hints. Second, because of that behavior, he isn't actually spending quality time with her. When he suggested taking her out dancing, she basically told him, "I need a break." Third, she spotted a photo of a doctor in his notebook and immediately concluded he was having an affair.

3. Throughout the end of the film, there’s constant emphasis on the stakes getting higher and the consequences getting uglier. And let's be real, he didn't just grow that beard overnight; the guy clearly let himself go over a long period. He was likely on the run from the law right from the start. As a geek, I see him surviving for at least some time after that fatal night—maybe a year or so. I honestly don't get what kind of psychological breakdown you're looking for. What kind of man is supposed to be left after losing absolutely everything?

The ending is totally predictable, but honestly, I still dug the movie. It’s classic Guillermo: killer production design, a great vibe, and some seriously creepy actors.

A bit of a flop at the box office? I don't get it—if it’s supposedly that good. Guess I'll have to check it out myself—always been a fan of this kind of stuff anyway.

Just finished watching it. Personally, I wouldn't call this a thriller. It lacks that genuine sense of tension you'd expect from the genre, and there’s just no real suspense driving the plot forward. This isn't the kind of movie that's going to have me glued to my couch, white-knuckling it until the credits roll to see what happens next. That said, it does offer a bit of a different vibe than your standard fare. I'd give it a solid 7/10.

Finally, we get a movie with actual substance and a meaningful message delivered in a classic style, standing out from the sea of modern nonsense and those shock-value, pseudo-artistic piles of garbage they keep churning out lately.
Essentially, it’s an ancient, universal lesson for anyone living on this planet about how easily a life can spiral downward due to sheer human selfishness, narcissism, and pure arrogance.
The ending is easily the strongest part because the protagonist actually realizes that everything he went through—his entire downfall—was entirely his own fault.

In most modern films and their various subgenres, you almost never see anything like this anymore. It seems like Hollywood refuses to depict people actually taking responsibility for their mistakes or accepting their failures as they crash down. Instead, they always frame a character's destiny so that someone else is to blame, essentially forcing the audience to just sit there and feel sorry for them.

I am very satisfied with this one. 9/10.

Jose Rogers61 said:I watched it. This isn't a thriller to me. There’s zero tension here, and absolutely no sense of suspense. It certainly isn't the kind of movie that keeps you glued to your couch wondering what happens next. It's just... different. 7/10

I agree, and I'd go even further—this is a film built entirely on atmosphere and incredibly dense details regarding magic and illusion. The characters, despite most being circus performers, aren't those typical "gothic" types you see in movies like this; they feel like completely ordinary people. Sure, there are some morbid elements—like those fetuses in formaldehyde and that ethanol—but it all feels grounded and plausible, especially given how naive people can be.

A solid film, I'd give it an 8/10.

Just finished the movie. Honestly—the ending drags quite a bit, and I’d even go as far as saying it gets a little boring. There's zero chemistry between the leads. They're together just to move the plot along—purely functional—but there's no spark there at all. Their relationship just doesn't feel... well, natural.

The real issue here is that the themes are way too heavy-handed. The ending, the big twist, the protagonist's fate—it's all incredibly easy to see coming. If they had been a bit more subtle with the storytelling, maybe I would have bought it, but they leaned into the narrative so hard from the jump that you can't shake it once he leaves the circus. By the time he steps into that chicken coop wagon? Yeah, the ending was already written.

As for Lilith's motivation to betray him—I'm convinced it comes down to her pride.

They definitely dropped hints. Like when she shows that injury, or when the old man admits he's hurt plenty of women, and finally when she confesses she was one of his victims.

He humiliated her in front of everyone right at the start. Then, to top it off, this guy calls her weak. She’s already been wounded by a man (Grindle), so after surviving that and then being branded "weak" again by some random, uneducated guy—you know, that "You're nothing but an Okie with straight teeth" line—it makes sense that she'd be driven to get even.

Is that motive strong enough to carry the whole film? To have her seek revenge on him as a way of getting back at every other man who ever hurt her? It's understandable, sure, but it feels thin. It's almost like they just wanted a twist for the sake of having one. Just like everything else in this movie—totally predictable.

I’m probably going to be the odd one out here by leaving a less-than-stellar review. Maybe my expectations were just too high? Or maybe it's because Del Toro has put out much better stuff in the past—I don't know. Visually, the movie is gorgeous; you can really tell how much effort he poured into it and how much attention he paid to every little detail. That’s easily its biggest strength. But honestly? It’s way too long, a bit of a slog, and the ending is totally predictable (though, ironically, the ending is the best part). I don't think this one is going to stick with me. I know Del Toro can do better—take Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, for instance. Even now, that one still gives me the creeps. 6/10

I’m probably going to be the odd one out here and leave a less-than-stellar review. Maybe my expectations were just too high? Or maybe it's because Guillermo del Toro has delivered so many much better projects in the past. I don't know. Visually, the movie is stunning—you can really see the effort put in and how Guillermo del Toro obsessed over every single little detail. That’s easily the film's biggest strength. But honestly? It drags, it's boring, and the ending is predictable (even if the ending is actually the best part). I don't think this is one that's going to stick with me. I know Guillermo del Toro can do better—take *Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark*, for instance; I still get chills thinking about that one 6/10 (actually, let's call it a 7, but since it's Guillermo del Toro, I'm being a bit tougher than usual)