BrayMitch01’s review published on Letterboxd:
👌68%
2022 Best Picture Nominees List- Click HERE
Nightmare Alley is a dark movie. It’s only been a few days since I first watched this film, formed an opinion on it, and thought that was about it but to my surprise come Tuesday morning the film scored an unexpected Best Picture nomination at the Oscars which had my mind once again focused on the film. I probably should have waited a few weeks to revisit this film so I could soak it in some more but with the excitement of it’s appearance as a Best Picture nomination, which many including myself thought it would miss out on ever since it premiered to mixed reviews a few months back, and my grandma whom I’m watched a couple of the now nominees with wanting to see it I quickly decided to go right into once again. Even though my score hasn’t altered I have to say that this film was certainly better on a rewatch as I watched it through a more relaxed lense without actively digging for flaws.
The atmosphere at hand which is being excellently conveyed through the production and technical hands of the film is genuinely memorable with each of the sole departments responsible deserving their Oscar nominations. I’ve mentioned this before but I’m an absolute sucker for innovative and creative cinematography so every shot of this film was rewarding to me. Another thing that became clearer to me on this rewatch was the pacing issues I originally didn’t think much of. After the skip to two years later and the introduction to Cate Blanchett the film really starts to drag, I even found myself dozing off at parts until the last thirty minutes arrived to grasp my full attention. There’s a good deal of films that released last year I’ve had conflicting opinions on, notably House of Gucci and The Hand of God, but this one may just take the place of the film I have the most conflicting thoughts on as there’s many aspects I adore but many I don’t. Overall Nightmare Alley is an impressively put together but then again substantially lacking film that may not have blown me away even on a second viewing but despite it’s pacing issues remains a fun atmospheric noir in my eyes.
🔙Four Good Days
🔜Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
