Overview: Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, Crimson Peak stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Stoker) as Edith Cushing, an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay.

Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty), Thomas’s sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind Crimson Peak.

Boasting incredibly intricate and ornate production design and a rich visual style, del Toro’s film is a grandiose, boldly baroque triumph of Gothic decadence, which expertly combines and contrasts the sublimely beautiful with the shockingly grotesque.

Crimson Peak is presented here in sumptuous special packaging, with a wealth of extra features, affording unprecedented insight into the making of this modern Gothic classic.

Blu-ray Verdict: As this gothic horror opens protagonist Edith Cushing tells us that ghosts are real; we see how the ghost of her mother warned her to beware of Crimson Peak. Years pass and Edith meets Sir Thomas Sharpe, a baronet hoping her father will invest in his mining machinery. He soon starts to court Edith but breaks it off when her father confronts him with certain information that has come into his possession.

Shortly afterwards her father is brutally murdered and Sir Thomas marries Edith. They leave America and return to Allerdale Hall, his home in England, along with his sister Lucille. Allerdale Hall was once impressive but now it is somewhat dilapidated. Lucille tells Edith that certain areas of house are too dangerous as she refuses to give her the house keys.

Edith soon starts seeing more ghosts; clearly something very bad in the house once. Back in America, the truth about Sir Thomas is learnt and family friend Dr Alan McMichael heads to England to save Edith; the question is whether or not he will get there in time.

Coming from writer/director Guillermo del Toro it is hardly surprising that this is very stylish with chills taking priority over more obvious scary moments. Early on it is hard to tell whether Sir Thomas is charming or just a charmer and once the action moves to England it soon looks as though Edith has made a terrible mistake.

There is a constant sense that something is wrong and not just when Edith sees some impressively grotesque ghosts - no slightly see-through people here! Everything looks very stylish, from Edith’s vivid yellow dress to the deep red of the clay Allerdale Hall is built on. The cast does a fine job, with Mia Wasikowska really impressing as Edith, a character who is both strong and vulnerable; Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain also impress as Sit Thomas and Lucille, keeping their characters ambiguous for much of the film.

For the most part, Crimson Peak is chilling rather than scary, but there are shocking moments that are very violent and quite gory. Overall I’d certainly recommend this to fans of gothic horror, especially as it has now been re-released as a Limited Edition 4K UHD.

Limited Edition Special Features:
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), approved by director Guillermo del Toro
Original DTS:X Master Audio sound
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Optional Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) for the visually impaired
Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo del Toro
The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak, a feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and extensive behind the scenes footage
Spanish language interview with Guillermo del Toro
The Gothic Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set; four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall
A Primer on Gothic Romance, the director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance
The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak, the cast and crew talk about the film’s use of color
Hand Tailored Gothic, a featurette on the film’s striking costumes
A Living Thing, a look at the design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets
Beware of Crimson Peak, a walking tour around Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston
Crimson Phantoms, a featurette on the film’s amazing ghosts
Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance, an interview with the author and critic
Violence and Beauty in Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films, a video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger
Deleted scenes
Image gallery
Original trailers and TV spots
Double-sided foldout poster
Four double-sided postcards
Limited edition packaging designed by Crimson Peak concept artist Guy Davis
Limited edition 80-page, hard-bound book featuring writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with Guillermo del Toro, and original conceptual design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni

www.arrowfilms.com