Nightmare Alley

2021 • 150 minutes

About this movie

From visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes this noir-style psychological thriller starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett that's set against the dark backdrop of carnival life. When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena(Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts what seems to be a golden ticket to success. The more he uses his newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society, the more his ambition grows. Soon, 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 (Blanchett), who might turn out to be his most formidable opponent yet. Also included in the all-star cast of NIGHTMARE ALLEY are Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman and Mary Steenburgen. Master storyteller del Toro directed the taut thriller, which he co-wrote with Kim Morgan, based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham.