Guillermo del Toro Looks Back on His “Misunderstood" ‘Crimson Peak'

Speaking to Vulture, Guillermo del Toro spoke, at length, about his 2015 film, “Crimson Peak.” Upon release, the film was met with mixed reviews and a shaky box office, but has gained a loyal fanbase these last ten or so years.

Del Toro claims that even before “Crimson Peak” got released, he already knew it wouldn’t find an audience and that was due to it being marketed as a horror film.

“The thing that will always, pun intended, haunt that movie is that it was sold as a horror movie,” said del Toro. “But I remember distinctly, when we had the meetings [about promotion], they were all targeted toward getting the horror audience for the opening weekend. And I knew we were doomed!”

He added, “I was saying, ‘You should promote the romance, and you should promote the mystery. The last thing you want to do is promote it as horror.’ We were opening in October, and October is the month of Halloween, so I understand why it happened.”

Whatever the cause may be about its failure to find an audience, “Crimson Peak” remains one of del Toro’s most beautifully crafted films, a gothic romance to die for, and all of that despite the anticlimactic ending still leaving me cold.

Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam, “Crimson Peak” followed young psychic Edith (Wasikowska), swept away by her new husband’s gothic mansion in the English hills. Also living there is Lady Lucille (Chastain), Thomas' alluring sister and protector of her family's dark secrets.

In that same Vulture interview, del Toro goes on to mention that “Crimson Peak” is one of the best films of his career. A few years back, he had stated that his crowning achievement was “The Shape of Water,” and even went on to rank the five best from his filmography:

The Shape of Water
The Devil's Backbone
Pan's Labyrinth
Crimson Peak
Pacific Rim & Hellboy II

This was before he would direct “Pinocchio” and “Nightmare Alley,” the latter, which also didn’t find an audience in theaters, was showered with love by Martin Scorsese who went as far as to write an L.A. Times op-ed encouraging people to buy a ticket for it.