“Ghosts are real, this I know”.

Invigorating the genre of horror yet again, Guillermo del Toro haunts viewers with his new film Crimson Peak. The Spanish-director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Mama brings you an homage to classic haunted-house films such as The Exorcist, The Haunting and The Shining.

This tale of gothic romance starts with American author Edith, played by the beautiful Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), falling for the charming Thomas Sharpe, played by Tom Hiddleston (Thor, The Avengers). Visiting with his sister, Thomas falls for Edith and brings her back to his elusive mansion in England, where an aroma of surreal deception fills each room. As Edith settles in, she finds the aristocrat to be more deceiving than she thought, and discovers why they call the estate Crimson Peak.

This sophisticated ghost story is built around an exquisite production, as well as characters who touch the soul of the viewer. The grandiose house built only for the filming of the movie shows how dedicated the artists is to his art, while the characters pull an uncanny performance that shows similar styles to characters created by Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, and Jane Austen.

Unlike most scary movies today, you won’t find fear hiding around the corner waiting to pop-up in abrupt scenes. Instead, del Toro fashions the most ghastly terror to grasp you by the arm, stare you in the face, and refuse to let go. You’ll find yourself squirming in your seat as this eerie fantasy takes you on a graceful journey of love and terror that you’ll never forget.