Nightmare Alley (Criterion Collection) (4K + Blu-ray Digipak) [USA]

[C.C. 95]

Release Date: October 28, 2025
Prices and Links:
Criterion- $47.96
OrbitDVD- $38.99

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan, William Lindsay Gresham
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins

• United States, Mexico
• 2021
• 150 minutes
• Color
• 1.85:1
• English

Noir fatalism has rarely been so alluring as in this vision of the world as a soul-sick carnival of corruption. Putting his own luxuriantly stylized spin on the classic hard-boiled novel by William Lindsay Gresham, master fabulist Guillermo del Toro conjures a sordid, seductive portrait of America on the cusp of World War II. The film follows Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a roustabout in a traveling sideshow who uses charm and deception to become a phony mentalist preying on the rich and powerful—but at what cost? Brought to life by an all-star cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and Rooney Mara, and nominated for four Oscars (including Best Picture), Nightmare Alley is a haunting descent into the illusory abyss of the American dream.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES​

• 4K digital master of Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light (2025), a new 159-minute, black-and-white extended director’s cut, supervised by director Guillermo del Toro, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• 4K digital master of the theatrical version of the film, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
• Two 4K UHD discs of the films presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the films and special features
• New audio commentary on the extended director’s cut featuring del Toro
• New documentary on the film’s performances, visual language, costume and production design, and score
• New conversation between del Toro and actor and producer Bradley Cooper
• New conversation between del Toro and coscreenwriter Kim Morgan
• Trailers
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
• PLUS: An essay by crime-fiction and true-crime expert Sarah Weinman

ORIGINAL THEATRICAL TRAILER:

 

[snow flake]

How this is getting a criterion release I don’t know, to me it’s one of the worst vanity projects I ever saw. Such a bad film full of cliches, bad acting and from a top notch cast.!

 

[Lollard2002]

How this is getting a criterion release I don’t know, to me it’s one of the worst vanity projects I ever saw. Such a bad film full of cliches, bad acting and from a top notch cast.!

I was wondering why I had not heard of this film.

 

[C.C. 95]

I was wondering why I had not heard of this film.

Really?! It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Commentary: Martin Scorsese wants you to watch 'Nightmare Alley.' Let him tell you why

'Obviously, this past holiday season was a tricky moment to release any movie. But I also wonder if there has been a real appreciation of Guillermo’s accomplishment.'

www.latimes.com

 

[IllegalSwede]

How this is getting a criterion release I don’t know, to me it’s one of the worst vanity projects I ever saw. Such a bad film full of cliches, bad acting and from a top notch cast.!

Well that's just, like, your opinion man.

 

[Lollard2002]

Really?! It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Commentary: Martin Scorsese wants you to watch 'Nightmare Alley.' Let him tell you why

'Obviously, this past holiday season was a tricky moment to release any movie. But I also wonder if there has been a real appreciation of Guillermo’s accomplishment.'

www.latimes.com

Haven't watched the Oscars in years....

 

[C.C. 95]

Haven't watched the Oscars in years....

I don't either...But, any movie is pretty high profile and in the zeitgeist after getting nominated for Best Picture.
(Not giving any creedence to what the Academy considers good films, though)

 

[Lollard2002]

I don't either...But, any movie is pretty high profile and in the zeitgeist after getting nominated for Best Picture.
(Not giving any creedence to what the Academy considers good films, though)

I think my problem is I rarely see films anymore and I cancelled my licence fee years ago so it's rare I see anything current anymore. I think "The Man in the High Castle" and the current show "Reacher" are the only thing that has engaged in viewing in the past 10 years. Films the odd one but very few.

 

[C.C. 95]

I think my problem is I rarely see films anymore and I cancelled my licence fee years ago so it's rare I see anything current anymore. I think "The Man in the High Castle" and the current show "Reacher" are the only thing that has engaged in viewing in the past 10 years. Films the odd one but very few.

Hot take: you'll have a better time exploring older films anyway.

 

[Lollard2002]

Hot take: you'll have a better time exploring older films anyway.

I'm catching up slowly on classic films even I missed during my youth and some have surprised just how good they are.

 

[C.C. 95]

I'm catching up slowly on classic films even I missed during my youth and some have surprised just how good they are.

Lately, 80% of my purchases are the catalog titles. You're right that sometimes it's like "Holy crap. This film has been here under my nose all this time?!"
I remember the first time I saw Richard Lester's 1970s THREE MUSKETEERS and FOUR MUSKETEERS- I knew immediately that Spielberg was influenced by it for RAIDERS!
The tone and style were totally aped!
I love discovering classic cinema gems. (And if you love high adventure films - definitely check out John Huston's THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING and Bob Raefelson's MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON (newly released on Blu-ray by Kino and Imprint))