The first half of Nightmare Alley is moderately good. Stan, a man with a dark past finds success as a carnie, where he compromises his morals on the job, and where he falls in love with one of the two women he courts. However, this story is only provided as foreshadowing for the next acts. This act could have been cut down for time, but it's the only part of the movie that actually works.
At the beginning of the second act, Stan is a moderately successful psychic with a beautiful wife, Molly, playing support to his mysterious act. For no reason at all, Stan begins a series of bad decisions that play out exactly as we expect. Despite his wife's pleadings, he does a "spook show" with a wealthy judge. It works, and he continues taking more risks by becoming the personal psychic to Ezra Grindle, an apparent mobster (?). It's never really explained why he's dangerous. Despite warnings from his wife and Grindle's bodyguard, Stan continues his charade even promising Grindle a vision of his dead lover. Grindle and his bodyguard continue to make very unspecific threats to Stan, should they find out he is not the real deal.
All of this is just within the realm of believability. Like the main character in Uncut Gems, some people have an obsessive personality and a ridiculous desire to succeed at their risky craft, despite the danger. Still, it doesn't make sense when teetotaler Stan starts drinking alcohol for no apparent reason. He cheats on his gorgeous young wife with Dr. Ritter, the femme fatale psychiatrist, who is smart, but definitely past her prime. But not only does he begin an affair with her, he stores his money at her business for some reason. Granted, Dr. Ritter is rich enough not to care about stealing Stan's money, but there's no reason Stan can't take the money home, as his wife is up to date on his dealings. You hope this decision will be explained, but it never is.
Of course things end in tragedy when Grindle finally sees through the ruse. The only surprise is that Stan manages to kill Grindle and his bodyguard instead of the other way around. Then Stan goes to Ritter, who has, of course, stolen his money. Why? Because "he cares" about the money, even if she doesn't. So the mysterious woman who began her relationship by trying to discredit Stan... ends the relationship by trying to destroy him. Why? Because she's upset that he said she wasn't powerful or something. It's never really explained.
Dr. Ritter has tapes that she can use to make him seem unstable in case he wants to implicate her. And now that the Judge and his wife are dead, no one can prove that they have been working together. Except for her secretary, all the people in the crowd that saw them meet at the psychic show, and any of the people who worked for the Judge. Again, no one's motivations are ever really explained.
In the end, Stan finds himself drinking booze and in the process of becoming a geek for a different carnival than the one from the beginning. What does Stan do when he realizes the booze is probably spiked and the gig definitely isn't temporary? He continues drinking and accepts his fate. Because why not? He's got nowhere to go but down. What can he do, now that he's a broke nobody, running from murders he committed? Wait, that's exactly where he was at two years ago, in the beginning of the movie. Somehow the audience must believe this time is different and now he is hopeless. Because reasons.
A few stars given for strong performances and beautiful set design, although it is the least gorgeous of Del Toro's movies. Also the first act is mildly interesting.
At the beginning of the second act, Stan is a moderately successful psychic with a beautiful wife, Molly, playing support to his mysterious act. For no reason at all, Stan begins a series of bad decisions that play out exactly as we expect. Despite his wife's pleadings, he does a "spook show" with a wealthy judge. It works, and he continues taking more risks by becoming the personal psychic to Ezra Grindle, an apparent mobster (?). It's never really explained why he's dangerous. Despite warnings from his wife and Grindle's bodyguard, Stan continues his charade even promising Grindle a vision of his dead lover. Grindle and his bodyguard continue to make very unspecific threats to Stan, should they find out he is not the real deal.
All of this is just within the realm of believability. Like the main character in Uncut Gems, some people have an obsessive personality and a ridiculous desire to succeed at their risky craft, despite the danger. Still, it doesn't make sense when teetotaler Stan starts drinking alcohol for no apparent reason. He cheats on his gorgeous young wife with Dr. Ritter, the femme fatale psychiatrist, who is smart, but definitely past her prime. But not only does he begin an affair with her, he stores his money at her business for some reason. Granted, Dr. Ritter is rich enough not to care about stealing Stan's money, but there's no reason Stan can't take the money home, as his wife is up to date on his dealings. You hope this decision will be explained, but it never is.
Of course things end in tragedy when Grindle finally sees through the ruse. The only surprise is that Stan manages to kill Grindle and his bodyguard instead of the other way around. Then Stan goes to Ritter, who has, of course, stolen his money. Why? Because "he cares" about the money, even if she doesn't. So the mysterious woman who began her relationship by trying to discredit Stan... ends the relationship by trying to destroy him. Why? Because she's upset that he said she wasn't powerful or something. It's never really explained.
Dr. Ritter has tapes that she can use to make him seem unstable in case he wants to implicate her. And now that the Judge and his wife are dead, no one can prove that they have been working together. Except for her secretary, all the people in the crowd that saw them meet at the psychic show, and any of the people who worked for the Judge. Again, no one's motivations are ever really explained.
In the end, Stan finds himself drinking booze and in the process of becoming a geek for a different carnival than the one from the beginning. What does Stan do when he realizes the booze is probably spiked and the gig definitely isn't temporary? He continues drinking and accepts his fate. Because why not? He's got nowhere to go but down. What can he do, now that he's a broke nobody, running from murders he committed? Wait, that's exactly where he was at two years ago, in the beginning of the movie. Somehow the audience must believe this time is different and now he is hopeless. Because reasons.
A few stars given for strong performances and beautiful set design, although it is the least gorgeous of Del Toro's movies. Also the first act is mildly interesting.
