Crimson Peak: 8 Reasons 2015's Biggest "Horror" Is A Massive Disappointment

6. The Style Is Best Described As Gothic Camp

Tim Burton was probably the worst thing to happen to gothic design. Often cited as the master of the style, he approaches it with the awareness of a moody teenager; while he gets the angles and general structure of it, there's typically an added silliness or air of whimsy (in the case of Edward Scissorhands, he even juxtaposes it with bright and cheerful order). It's a style, but label it full gothic greatly cheapens any other work attempting it properly. Del Toro, on the other hand, is someone who gets it, and for all its other mistakes Crimson Peak shows that; Allendale Hall is a proper gothic structure, with long, dark corridors and expansive-yet-restrictive halls consisting of overly-emphasised curves and spikes making for an immediately imposing creation. But while visually he's on point, when it comes to the overall tone there's still a jarring contrast; an underlying campness runs through the film, turns several moments (particularly in the high-tension finale) silly. This is somewhat innate in telling a Victorian tale, but the more offbeat elements of style are, if anything, amped up here, making for a film that feels rather different to how it looks.