Nightmare Alley | Rotten Tomatoes

Nightmare Alley

R

Released Dec 17, 2021

2 hr. 30 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

TRAILER

for Nightmare Alley: Final Trailer

List

80%

355 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

1,000+ Verified Ratings

Audience Score

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Mar 13

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Nightmare Alley on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

While it may not hit quite as hard as the original, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a modern noir thriller with a pleasantly pulpy spin.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Consensus

Stylish but slow, Nightmare Alley pays off with a powerful ending -- if you can hang in long enough to make it, that is.

Read Audience Reviews

Todd F

This was amazing seeing the black and white version of the film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Evan M

moody film noir by Del Toro

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/22

Full Review

Sean

one of the most incredible films I've ever seen and it looks even more stunning in black and white. This film noir centers around a drifter who joins a carnival in the late 1930s and learns the tricks of mentalism. His ambitions takes him to the big city where he meets a mysterious and beautiful psychiatrist who has a scheme to swindle some wealthy bigwigs. Things get dark as his web of lies comes crumbling down. Nightmare Alley has incredible performances across the board particularly by Blanchett, Cooper, and Jenkins, witty dialogue, stunning cinematography, and eye popping sets. I don't want to spoil anything but this is a compelling adult film that takes place in the past but also says a lot about the times we live in.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/22

Full Review

Brandon Richardson

Well crafted and well-performed, Nightmare Alley is a solid psychological thriller. The overlong runtime does make the plot seem more complex that it is, but beyond that, the cinematography is fantastic, and the production design is visually astounding. Cooper and Collette were astonishing, and Cate Blanchett stole the show.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/22

Full Review

Michael

Great mystery and thriller. 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/22

Full Review

justin r

Amazing set direction and story. A little long. Go for the set direction, stay for the ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/22

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Guillermo del Toro

Director

Bradley Cooper

Stanton Carlisle

Rooney Mara

Molly Cahill

Cate Blanchett

Doctor Lilith Ritter

Ron Perlman

Bruno

Toni Collette

Zeena Krumbein

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Nightmare Alley: Extended Preview

6:37

View more videos

%

%

Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen

%

%

Tiger

%

%

Hip-Hop and The White House

%

%

Tigers on the Rise

88%

84%

Monkey Man

TRAILER

for Monkey Man

93%

%

Something You Said Last Night

%

%

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two

%

92%

La Cha Cha

%

%

The Moon and Back

%

%

Max Beyond

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century, And Searchlight

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2021

Where to Watch the 2022 Oscar Nominees

Nightmare Alley: Featurette - A Troupe Beyond Compare

2:35

Nightmare Alley: Featurette - Is He Man, Or Beast?

2:48

'Nightmare Alley' Cast Say There Was "Nothing Artificial" About the Carnival Set

21:45

Nightmare Alley: Featurette - Neo Noir

2:43

Nightmare Alley: Final Trailer

1:39

Nightmare Alley: Teaser Trailer

1:38

View more videos

View more photos

Caroline Siede

Fox 10 Phoenix

Though "Nightmare Alley" is too long and meandering to totally work as a cohesive film, theres no doubt it has images that will stick with you none more so than its haunting final shot.

Mar 26, 2022

Full Review

Isaac Feldberg

Inverse

Nightmare Alley feels gorgeously and intricately alive on the screen. Its shadows are luxuriant and deep, often threatening to swallow the characters whole, and the actors play their parts with an aplomb that rivals del Toro’s own.

Feb 15, 2022

Full Review

Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

The genuine, pleasant surprise for me was discovering truly what an unabashed, all-out noir it was. Blanchett's character, the big scheme, the hubris and pushing the scheme too far, the fatalism.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 10, 2022

Full Review

Savina Petkova

A Good Movie To Watch

In addition to its thrilling plot and studded cast, Nightmare Alley is also psychologically literate enough to make a carnival out of the human soul.

Rated: 9/10

Oct 29, 2023

Full Review

Shawn Edwards

Fox 4 Kansas City

Nightmare Alley is something to behold... but it's the storytelling that lacks conviction.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 27, 2023

Full Review

Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

Del Toro’s strongest thematically made film. With a twisted atmosphere that had me in awe at every turn. Incredibly made, slow first chapter but once it got going I was all in.

Jul 26, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Searchlight Pictures, Double Dare You
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Some Sexual Content|Strong/Bloody Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2021, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.3M
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now