Crimson Peak (2015) • Limited Edition Blu-ray [Arrow Video]

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider.

If you like Gothic romance (rites of passage tales where an innocent girl falls in love with a brooding hero, drawn into the secrets of his old dark house), you’ll enjoy this sumptuous film where the ghosts “are real”. Guillermo del Toro is a master of this genre and, in Crimson Peak, he creates an elaborate adult fairy tale which echoes folk stories such as Bluebeard and Beauty and the Beast. Del Toro has described Crimson Peak as his most beautiful film so far, returning to the territory of The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) after concentrating on big-budget Hollywood movies like Hellboy (2008) and Pacific Rim (2013).

Set in 1901, Crimson Peak follows the journey of Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), a bright young American who dreams of becoming an author. As a child she was visited by her mother’s ghost, who warned her to “beware of Crimson Peak”, and in adulthood is seduced by the charm…