by: JESSICA COX/Staff Writer
Filled with ghost sightings and images of the past, “Crimson Peak” is definitely a one-of-a-kind film.
“Crimson Peak” begins with Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) saying, in a voice too innocent for her words, “ghosts are real…this much I know.” Her mother’s ghost appears a few times in the beginning of the film, warning her daughter to “Beware of Crimson Peak.” Not knowing what this means, Edith does not tell anyone about her chilling encounters.
It is apparent that Edith has a very strong personality. There are a few men interested in her, but she turns her head…until Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston, *swoon*) comes to town. The two hit it off immediately, and every woman is jealous of Edith.
Sir Sharpe’s sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain), is introduced. There is something ‘off’ about her, almost as if she knows more than she is letting on. But, Sir Thomas and Lady Sharpe seem to be very close.
Edith’s father seems to thik the same thing, because he has a private investigator look into the siblings. Whatever the P.I. finds, it is enough for Mr. Cushing to pay the the Sharpes off and forbid them to be near his daughter.
Soon afterward, Mr. Cushing is found murdered in the bathroom, leaving his innocent daughter all alone. Sir Sharpe swoops in to comfort Edith as she shows her mourning, and later proposes to marry her.
There is something sinister about the situation, however. It is obvious that Lady Sharpe and her brother are up to something, although his love for Edith does seem to be genuine. Lady Sharpe seems to be acting even more strangely, almost as if she is jealous of their relationship.
The newlyweds move away to his home in England, along with his sister, Lady Sharpe. Their house is grand, creeking, and falling apart. Upon moving into the house, Sir Sharpe refers to the property as Crimson Peak, the exact thing the ghost of Edith’s mother had warned her of. Sir Sharpe explains to his frightened wife that is what people call the land in the winter time, because the clay in the ground turns the snow bright red.
After that, strange things happen in the house. Edith makes a habit of running into ghosts, but no one believes her sightings. She does snooping that only gets her into trouble, as well as on Lady Sharpe’s bad side.
Eventually the disturbing, but predictable, truth is revealed. This movie is just strange. It seemed as if the storyline was all over the place, and dragged on a bit. The ‘scary’ scenes were not scary, and the big twist was predictable.
I give “Crimson Peak” 2 out of 5 stars.
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