The "Ghost Story" is one of the oldest, most classic forms of horror in both film, and literature. in recent years, most horror-films featuring ghosts and spirits have been part of the found footage genre, such as the "Paranormal Activity" series. "Crimson Peak" is a welcome departure from this, as it is truly a throwback to older horror films, and the gothic romance subgenre.

This is not a simple story of a haunted house. "Crimson Peak", for starters, features remarkable performances from the leads Mia Wasikowska (Edith Cushing), Tom Hiddleston (Thomas Sharpe), and Jessica Chastain (Lucille Sharpe). Wasikowska plays a charming, likable, and surprising fierce heroine, while Hiddleston and Chastain play a brother and sister who are hiding more than a few secrets in their deteriorating English manor. Unlike many recent horror movies, these characters are complex, unique, and compelling. They are not simply high school students, or average people who happen to have a ghost problem. Nor do they have personalities plagued by trite cynicism, and shallowness

Besides the acting, and the riveting plot full of twists and turns, the visuals are enough reason to attend. Every angle, every shot of this film is the work of a master cinematography and a person who truly had a vivid image of what they wanted this film to be, and it is indisputable that they succeeded in that vision. Every frame of the movie oozes rich, goth horror. From the costumes, lighting, and the most subtle details of the atmosphere, "Crimson Peak" is the epitome of classic horror. Not to mention that the film certainly earns its R rating, with more than a few scenes of graphic horror, and violence, but don't fear: These scenes are not merely "gore porn", but truly add to the tensions, and heightened emotions of the film, and are also shot with a extraordinary artistic eye.

Ultimately, "Crimson Peak" cannot be recommended enough. Guillermo del Toro has definitely succeeded in creating a suspenseful throwback to the traditional motifs and themes of the genre. If you are a fan of gothic romance, or just horror films in general, you need to see this film as soon as possible