Streaming Flicks

Nightmare Alley

Just a few years back, a film like NIGHTMARE ALLEY would have been a far more appealing box office draw. Featuring Bradley Cooper in his juiciest role since A STAR IS BORN, and directed by visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, it was the type of production that begged to be seen on the big screen.

Given the current movie-going climate, however, it was easy for the NIGHTMARE ALLEY to fall through the cracks. Sure, folks came out in record numbers to see

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, but a slow-burn noir is not the type of fare that can attract the same crowd as a web-slinging extravaganza.

When the Oscar nominations were announced in February, NIGHTMARE ALLEY finally received the recognition it deserved. Nominated for

three Academy Awards including Best Picture, it reminded the public that this was a film that easily stood out amongst the best of the year. The timing wasn’t awful either, as it had just become available to stream on both Hulu and HBO Max.

Cooper plays conman turned carney Stanton Carlisle. Clever, cunning, and handsome, he is the type of guy who can integrate himself into any situation and find a way to stand out in a crowd. He quickly befriends clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband Pete (David Strathairn.) The duo give him a reading of his life, which is incredibly spot-on. They then admit that the reading was a con of their own, as they fed each other information in secret code that allowed them to make observations that were otherwise impossible. Intrigued, Stan starts paying much more attention to their grift, instantly recognizing potential when he sees it.

As Stan works and travels with the carnival, he grows increasingly close to a fellow performer named Molly (Rooney Mara.) He shares with her that he has come up withan idea for a two person show that would allow them to escape

the rigorous and unglamorous carnival life, and give them a real shot at success and wealth. While initially reluctant, Molly eventually relents, and the two pack a truck and hit the road.

Two years later, Stan is a successful mentalist playing in front of capacity crowds each night. Capitalizing on what he had learned from Zeena and Pete, he

and Molly have worked out their own intricate act. When the stern and suspicious Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) interrupts their show in an attempt

to expose their secrets, it sets off a chain of events that will be catastrophic for all involved.

In typical del Toro fashion, the visuals of NIGHTMARE ALLEY are stunning. His world is bleak and foreboding, yet oddly beautiful. From the mud, muck, and underlying depravity of a 1940’s carnival, to the opulent extravagance of high society living, the world he has created is remarkable.

The performances by the entire ensemble cast are fantastic. As portrayed by Mara and Blanchett, Molly and Lilith could not be more different, and while hardly enemies, certainly serve as excellent foils for one another. Molly is bookish and sweet with a wide-eyed tenderness that projects her desire to love and to be loved. Lilith, on the other hand, is the classic noir femme fatale.

own, and is more than willing to let Stanton believe he has the upper hand at all times.

Cooper was superb in A STAR IS BORN, building off his turn in SILVER LININGSPLAYBOOK that showed that he was far more nuanced than could have ever been expected while watching WEDDING CRASHERS and THE HANGOVER. In NIGHTMARE ALLEY, he gives what may very well be his best performance to date. Magnetic despite his obvious flaws and possible penchant for murder, his slow descent into oblivion is a carefully crafted work of art. The inevitability of his plight stares us in the face for nearly two and a half hours, yet when the powerful payoff arrives, it is still magnificently jarring.

NIGHTMARE ALLEY- A (Now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max and Hulu)

by: BRIAN MILLER