Cronos (1993)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Dean !

  
  A strange debut horror story for Guillermo del Toro. It has a certain charm to it, bringing a new idea to a vampire tale. Character driven rather than over the top shock and gore. Still it looks rather dated now due to the low budget.

• Tim S

  
  Guillermo Del Toro's first feature film Cronos was one that I'd been meaning to get my hands on when a Criterion Blu-ray was first announced way back when. I finally managed to snag myself a copy, and I feel like I was rewarded quite well. I'm always pleased when I find… More
  Guillermo Del Toro's first feature film Cronos was one that I'd been meaning to get my hands on when a Criterion Blu-ray was first announced way back when. I finally managed to snag myself a copy, and I feel like I was rewarded quite well. I'm always pleased when I find a genre turned on its head and told in a completely new and refreshing way. Now, this isn't an obvious vampire tale - they actually don't use the word once in the film, nor do they even refer to the undead. That's not really what the story is about anyway, and that's why it makes for a compelling story. If you're in tune with the story at all, you realize that it's about an old man coming to terms with old age, dealing with his young niece who he's very close to, and having his morbid curiosity get the best of him. At least, that's the film I saw. You might have a different take it on than me, but that's how I saw it. The film does tend to be too slow at times without winding up the tension in certain areas. The tone also wavers a bit with Ron perlman's performance during certain scenes. Other than those minor errors, it's a goregous film with a bold color palette and beautiful photography. It also has, as previously stated, a refreshing take on the vampire film, and I'm glad that I waited as long as I did to see it. Ah, refreshing.

• Cynthia S

  
  Strangely done film. Different take on the vampire lore. Dark, brooding, and slow paced. Not really horror, but really more "supernatural". You gotta love Guillermo Del Toro for his unique take in this genre of "horror" films..

• Graham J

  
  Endlessly imaginative.

• Jan Marc M

  
  Cronos is a Guillermo del Toro debut feature that conjures ancient alchemy to prey on immortality. Cronos is an aesthetic and thematic exploration of dark aspirations, insatiable desires, and famished greed. Sinister, but tender. Eerie.

• Steven C

  
  "Cronos" is an uncommonly assured and emotionally resonant directorial debut from Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro understands what makes a true fairy tale work and how frightening, beautiful and engaging they can be. The film boasts some creative, non-pretentious directorial… More
  "Cronos" is an uncommonly assured and emotionally resonant directorial debut from Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro understands what makes a true fairy tale work and how frightening, beautiful and engaging they can be. The film boasts some creative, non-pretentious directorial flourishes and a warm, respectful visual rhetoric. What ultimately made "Cronos" so unique is that it's most certainly a genre picture, but it's focus is on it's characters. The film is about moments of light and dark, not about gore or kills. I was enthralled during del Toro's personal, beautiful first feature.

• Melvin W

  
  I'm sad to say I didn't like Cronos. It was Guillermo del Toros first film and he has obviously improved a great deal. Cronos wasn't necessarily bad but I just couldn't get into it and enjoy it. I didn't care for any of the characters as they all seemed a bit… More
  I'm sad to say I didn't like Cronos. It was Guillermo del Toros first film and he has obviously improved a great deal. Cronos wasn't necessarily bad but I just couldn't get into it and enjoy it. I didn't care for any of the characters as they all seemed a bit flat. Was interesting to see del Toros directorial debut and his first collaboration with Ron Perlman.

• Kristijonas F

  
  A creative debut from a great adult-fantasy director, Guillermo del Toro's Cronos blends inspired direction with some pretty intelligent screen-writing.

• Daniel M

  
  Well before the 'abstinence porn' of Twilight began to hit our screens, a whole wave of vampire films in the 1990s returned to the deep well of sex which had become the lifeblood of vampire fiction. We had Anne Rice's AIDS allegory Interview with a Vampire, John… More
  Well before the 'abstinence porn' of Twilight began to hit our screens, a whole wave of vampire films in the 1990s returned to the deep well of sex which had become the lifeblood of vampire fiction. We had Anne Rice's AIDS allegory Interview with a Vampire, John Landis' uneven crime drama Innocent Blood, and of course Francis Ford Coppola's bonkers version of Dracula. But in the midst of these hypersexual offerings, a small Mexican film from a first-time director was helping to radically reshape the genre. Cronos, the debut by Guillermo Del Toro, demonstrated that vampire fiction could explore themes far more varied than sex, such as the fear of death, the loneliness of old age and the relationship between Mexico and the USA. A hugely influential work of horror cinema, it is every bit as striking and significant as Let The Right One In. When I reviewed The Usual Suspects, I remarked that one test of a good filmmaker is being able to take a hackneyed series of conventions, and create something which is both memorable and mindful of its genre origins. On this level alone Cronos is a triumph, since it is able to fulfil all the requirements of being a bona fide vampire film which approaching all the key plot points and characters arcs from distinctively unusual angles. Cronos may have a backstory about the origins of the vampire, followed by the introduction of our protagonists to said bloodsucker which results in quite a lot of gore. But Del Toro manages to achieve this while removing from the story all connotations of sex or lust. In place of Hammer's heaving bosoms and phallic fangs, he gives us skin peeling like wallpaper and the intricate clockwork of the Cronos device. The closest the film comes to anything sexual is a scene of Federico Luppi licking a nosebleed off a bathroom floor, which is shot with such clinical precision that there can be no room for erotic thoughts. By refocusing the story around ageing and the fear of death, Cronos hits on the central dilemma in vampire fiction: would you rather live forever but lose your soul, or stay pure and human but live in constant fear of death? Both the elderly characters in the film choose the former, albeit for different motives and by entirely different means. Dieter, the dying businessman, makes a conscious decision to pursue the device: he owns the manual needed to operate it and believes it is the only thing that can keep him and his empire alive (and out of his nephew's hands). Jesus, on the other hand, is 'bitten' accidentally, and only comes to use the device frequently through observing its physical benefits. His desire, in the form of addiction to blood, is every bit as strong as Dieter's desire to possess the device himself, but it is not motivated by selfishness or a desire for power. Like Dracula, Jesus becomes weary of eternal life: he is worn down not by an army of brides, but by the constant torment of those who are jealous of his powers. In the end his remaining sense of self triumphs over the vampire he has become, and he sacrifices himself to protect his beloved granddaughter. The theme of ageing is also conveyed in the visuals of Cronos. Guillermo Navarro's cinematography is very washed-out, with dark woods and fading reds to indicate how everything around the characters is very slowly dying or decaying. Even the brightest scenes in the film, like the New Year's party, are filled with pale colours and make use of shadows wherever possible. Beyond its direct connections with the vampire genre, Cronos is connected to other key figures in horror. The design of the Cronos device itself, with its peculiar blend of biology and mechanics, resembles the work of Clive Barker: its design as is intricate as the puzzle box in Hellraiser and there is the same suggestion of great evil being contained in or brought forth from something of great beauty. There are also connections with John Carpenter in the film's elaborate and highly convincing make-up. Del Toro's training under make-up artist Dick Smith shines through in his pursuit of organic, physical terror, and the work of his make-up artist M. Carrajal rivals anything which Rob Bottin achieved on The Thing. There is a further connection with Carpenter contained in a line where the device is dismissed as "just a toy". Like Carpenter in Hallowe'en, Del Toro is taking an aspect of horror which had become institutionalised and accepted, and proving that it could still scare you to death. Cronos is a deeply religious film, in its use of iconography and its exploration of the meanings to both life and death. Again, this is drawing on a classic trait in vampire fiction, namely that the act of being or becoming a vampire is a rebellion against the laws of nature (including death), which it was believed were set in stone by God. Though there is no scene of Jesus declaring war on heaven, as happens in the Coppola version, his faith is counterpointed by his growing dependence on the device, as demonstrated by him reciting the Lord's Prayer while allowing it to stab him a second time. There are other indications of these religious themes as well. The Cronos device was created by an alchemist, someone who brought the material and spiritual worlds together, using what became the scientific method to find the divine substance which could cure all disease and prolong life. The images of cockroaches bursting out of angels, or the device being hidden in said statues, hints at the threat which such a device poses to Christianity. By removing the certainty of death, it undermines the corresponding fear of death and damnation, and therefore makes it less necessary either to repent or to live a moral life. To add to its theological wrangling, Cronos also has political connotations. The film is a rich allegory for US-Mexican relations, in which America is the bloodsucker which takes without asking and refuses to yield. Dieter, the American, is determined not to let the Mexicans (in the shape of Jesus) get one over on them - the second they come up with something useful, the Americans want it for themselves and won't take no for an answer. There is a contrast between Federico Luppi's sympathetic, caring grandfather and Ron Perlman's aggressive and ambitious nephew. Perlman may slip in and out of Luppi's language, but he is only interested in himself - it is not communication, only giving orders in a language he thinks they can understand. The performances in Cronos are mostly of a high quality. Luppi is a great screen presence, seeming frail and vulnerable while coming across as a strong and determined character. Perlman, in his first of several collaborations with Del Toro, is a very fine match for him. His versatility with language is matched only by his desire to throw himself physically into the role. The only weak link is the young girl, played by Tamara Shanath. It isn't so much her performance as the limited extent of her character's development; we don't feel as strongly connected to her as we do with her counterparts in The Devil's Backbone or Pan's Labyrinth. Cronos is a great debut feature from one of horror's greatest directors. While not as perfectly formed as Pan's Labyrinth, it contains all the hallmarks of Del Toro's genius, from its powerfully unique visuals to its constant invention and intelligence even in the most trivial of moments. It's a top-notch chiller and a welcome shot in the arm for vampire fiction, proving that the genre is still able to stimulate as well as scare. It's not Let The Right One In, but it should be welcomed into anyone's collection.

• Conner R

  
  I really tried to enjoy this as much as I could since i'm a fan of Guillermo del Toro's other work, but there's just nothing to take from it. From a visual and creative standpoint it is little better than a made-for-tv movie. Now this could have been used to their… More
  I really tried to enjoy this as much as I could since i'm a fan of Guillermo del Toro's other work, but there's just nothing to take from it. From a visual and creative standpoint it is little better than a made-for-tv movie. Now this could have been used to their advantage; there's plenty of cases in which small budget movies can have some of the best results. It seems that this plugged along like some kind of vissionary work when it's just not. The only thing interesting here is seeing some of the tools that del Toro has since perfected in recent works.

• xGary X

  
  A device created to prolong life by a 16th century alchemist falls into the possession of an elderly antiques dealer, but when he is accidentally "bitten", it transforms him into an unkillable creature who thirsts for human blood. Guillermo Del Toro's first feature is a… More
  A device created to prolong life by a 16th century alchemist falls into the possession of an elderly antiques dealer, but when he is accidentally "bitten", it transforms him into an unkillable creature who thirsts for human blood. Guillermo Del Toro's first feature is a low budget horror that puts a new spin on vampire mythologoy. This creature of the night is an unwilling victim, and finds his new condition a curse he wants to be released from. It contains many of what would become Del Toro's trademarks, namely the intricate golden clockwork of the device, the mix of gore and artful visuals, and the innocent eyes of a child through which these macabre events are seen. Unfortunately it has a similar feeling to many of Cronenberg's early works in that it has a strong central premise, but feels half finished; disappointingly, we don't really see or learn much about the device itself and the ideas seem to dry up as the film goes on. Like the debuts of Raimi and Rodriguez, it points the way to the potential of the director, but a little more maturity and the financial backing to realise his vision is what was required to make the leap into the big leagues. Interesting, but incomplete.

• Luke B

  
  Del Toro's take on vampire's is both refreshing and familiar. In the current world of piss poor Twilight and other bland vampire tales, Cronos reminds us of the great curse of eternal life. It mixes fantasy and genuine emotion, something Del Toro has constantly shown. The… More
  Del Toro's take on vampire's is both refreshing and familiar. In the current world of piss poor Twilight and other bland vampire tales, Cronos reminds us of the great curse of eternal life. It mixes fantasy and genuine emotion, something Del Toro has constantly shown. The almost silent relationship between grandfather and granddaughter is a very sweet way to observe a vampire tale. This is Del Toro gradually maturing as a filmmaker. It's not perfect, but even it's misgivings make it more interesting than the usual films we are subjected to.

• Anthony L

  
  In my opinion, this is the best and certainly the most original Vampire film ever. The acting and direction are both faultless. A real underrated classic and Guillermo del Toro at his best.

• E.J. B

  
  It's got some creepy and bloody moments, but its focus is on the human relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter. It's not scary enough to be a horror flick and too gory to be the former.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Solid genre flick from Del Toro, before selling his soul to hollywood.

• Stephen M

  
  I was a bit disappointed with this. It does add a few new ideas to the vampire sub-genre but it's very slow and not particularly engaging. If you've seen "Mimic" or "Pan's Labyrinth", you won't be surprised to find that "Cronos"… More
  I was a bit disappointed with this. It does add a few new ideas to the vampire sub-genre but it's very slow and not particularly engaging. If you've seen "Mimic" or "Pan's Labyrinth", you won't be surprised to find that "Cronos" contains some insects and a gloomy child who doesn't say very much. I'm beginning to think that del Toro is only as good a director as his cinematographer and visual effects artists allow.

• Antony S

  
  There's precious little that I can remember of Cronos, it was a bit of a let-down. The essential premise sounds absolutely diamond, and I am always one for tales where mythology mixes with fact. This is the core of Cronos, in which a vampiric device becomes dangerous in the… More
  There's precious little that I can remember of Cronos, it was a bit of a let-down. The essential premise sounds absolutely diamond, and I am always one for tales where mythology mixes with fact. This is the core of Cronos, in which a vampiric device becomes dangerous in the hands of an aging antiques collector. Though I usually praise 'slow build-up' horrors, the lack of momentum here is a real issue, as it fails to be particuarly creepy at any point. Perlman is good in a scene-stealing fashion, but on the whole the film is an adequate oddity in the canon of vampire movies.

• Walter M

  
  In "Cronos," Jesus Gris(Federico Luppi) runs an antique store where he and his granddaughter Aurora(Tamara Shanath) play hopscotch most days to pass the time. However, one day, they discover a gold scarab inside a statue that attaches itself to his palm before he is able to… More
  In "Cronos," Jesus Gris(Federico Luppi) runs an antique store where he and his granddaughter Aurora(Tamara Shanath) play hopscotch most days to pass the time. However, one day, they discover a gold scarab inside a statue that attaches itself to his palm before he is able to dislodge it. At first, he feels younger, before strange appetites begin to develop. Being the expert and knowing what to expect does not stop de la Guardia(Claudio Brook) from wanting it. So, he sends his nephew Angel(Ron Perlman) to retrieve it. For Guillermo del Toro's first feature, "Cronos" is not a bad start to such a prestigious career but it pales compared to his later movies. In fact, the movie is more than a little rough, resembling a B-thriller more than the horror/fantasy film it should have been which is reinforced by a horrendous musical score. That's not to mention the unnecessary tacked on introduction. But while he may not have had the skills yet, his ideas are already on display, as he tells an intriguing Christmas story, saying that living forever is totally overrated. And the device is certainly ingenious. What is most important is that del Toro displays a keen affinity for telling the story of children in this movie, also.

• Ryan M

  
  8.0/10 Watching "Cronos" made me realize that I need to re-watch every single Guillermo Del Toro film as soon as possible. It also made me realize just why I love the guy so much. "Cronos" is Guillermo Del Toro's first feature, and until now, has not… More
  8.0/10 Watching "Cronos" made me realize that I need to re-watch every single Guillermo Del Toro film as soon as possible. It also made me realize just why I love the guy so much. "Cronos" is Guillermo Del Toro's first feature, and until now, has not been accessible to most U.S. DVD Rental Services. But thanks to the Criterion Collection, "Cronos" can be enjoyed by even more people. I'm glad that I finally got around to watching the thing. So let's get down to business. "Cronos" is not simply a tale of horrific obsession. It is also a story of immortality, mortality, or even life in general. Del Toro (also the writer of this fantastic film, no doubt) puts an aging man in a dangerous situation, and he successfully mixes elements of vampire-film, horror-film, and drama-film into one entertaining package. And "Cronos" is quite the package. Even if it's a horror-drama at heart, "Cronos" is strangely charming. I don't know why, but there's something "fun" about watching it. Perhaps it's because this is a seldom seen horror film that never goes to extremes in its depictions. It never succumbs to clichés. And it's visually inspiring in perhaps a way that only Guillermo Del Toro can deliver. But why should you watch it? Well, for the all the same reasons you would watch any Del Toro film, actually. Well, aside from the flawless story, which "Cronos" just doesn't have. But something in my gut tells me that "Cronos" is not purely about the story, and Del Toro chooses to tell half of it through visual design. He has said that he likes to do this because pictures can tell stories, and Del Toro is indeed the sophisticated type when it comes to this. He is a unique man with savage wit and style, and "Cronos" documents where it all began. Del Toro would go on to make bigger and better films soon enough, although "Cronos" marked the arrival of a new talent. It is not the man's best picture, although it's a lush painting anyways. I recommend it to those who want to see simple art for what it is; inoffensive, dark, and rich with imagery. "Cronos" is not art built to shock; it is art meant to amaze. And perhaps it does amaze, because Del Toro is good at that. And despite its imperfection, this film was entertaining, beautifully shot, and mesmerizing. Its hypnotic style is not to me missed. "Cronos" is simple story-telling compared to the other complex stuff that Del Toro has come up with. Needless to say, it's still a good story, and it needs to be heard. "Cronos" tells the tale of an aging antique-salesman named Jesús who comes across a mysterious mechanical device within one of his statues. He grabs it quickly before its seeker sends one of his henchmen out to retrieve it, although this begins a battle for the device and one man's life. Jesús becomes obsessed with the device, and allows it to pierce into his skin (which is essentially what it does). Whenever he is to do this, he is granted immortality. His wife notices his change in age, although thinks nothing of it initially. But soon, it becomes quite a problem. A man named Dieter de la Guardia is the former seeker of the device, as he too is dying. Either way, whoever doesn't end up with the device will end up dead. Jesús is addicted to the scarab-like device as like a drug; he goes nearly crazy when he cannot get an injection. However, many "side-effects" of the device come up, one of them being Jesús' new-found thirst for blood. The film essentially hopes to follow him on his attempts to survive this terrible new addiction, and not get bested by Guardia. As you can see, it's a simple story. Some may criticize it for that. And the film doesn't always have a clear purpose. Some will say that it's not scary; some will say it lacks the ability to truly disgust. I do not think it's intended to be a truly "disturbing" sort of film, but it is meant to show fear in the element of obsession. It's a simple yet complex tale, and I had to appreciate it. After all, "Cronos" HAS a story-even if that story isn't completely devoid of its flaws. Del Toro has the start of something new and good here, and he completes it as well as he begins it. Take the trip if only for the dark, human depiction of fairy-tale madness. Federico Luppi, a frequent collaborator of Del Toro's, stars in the leading role of "Cronos". He plays Jesús, the aging antique-shop owner who happens upon a new kind of obsession. Luppi makes the character easy to identify with, and he's interesting to follow. The character of Jesús certainly helps to make the story more endurable, and Luppi's performance is as endearing as it is frighteningly human. Ron Perlman also stars as a tough-but-dimwitted sort of "side-kick" to the film's antagonist. And lastly, the antagonist is played by Claudio Brook. I think that like most of Del Toro's films, the production is nearly character-driven. When Del Toro can't develop as good as a plot as "Pan's Labyrinth", this is what he does as his last resort; create characters that we either detest or identify with. Maybe he's not the best at creating quirky, unforgettable characters, but then again very few are. It's just a rare thing to see a visual artist have his film displaying much talent from both ends of the camera, respectively. "Cronos" boasts absolutely intriguing visuals. Del Toro gets around without using much CG, and creates his work purely out of spectacle. The Cronos Device itself seems carefully designed, and as with all of his works, there is visual effort around every corner. All you need to do is look at this darned film to know how beautifully conceived it is. Aside from the production values, which are extremely awesome, the film boasts incredible cinematography. While the angles are basic, they always made me interested regardless. And with a solid score to settle things right, it's obvious how good Del Toro wanted his film to feel and look good. And everything paid off in the end, since "Cronos" is indeed as entertaining as Del Toro envisioned it being. It's so darned intriguing that I couldn't take my eyes off it, and yes, it could be called art. Most of Del Toro's directorial films are. And that is because art can come in many forms, and each quality of a film can add up to it. Visual presentation is one thing, and Del Toro has mastered it. And he has even before mastered story-telling, although he seems to know when people want "Hellboy" and when people want "Pan's Labyrinth", when speaking of narrative quality. He knows his audience, and that's something that I envy about him; his unfailing ability to do what he loves with ease. By all means, there is a lot to admire here. The visual style, the music, the performances, and even Del Toro's directing. I admired all of these things because each one felt stunning in its quality. Del Toro is a director who wants to amaze people with what he can do, mostly without CG. I have known him for creating visual finesse out of the strangest things, and favoring make-up effects over CGI. I admire that a lot about Del Toro. It says a lot about a filmmaker when he almost says no to CGI in general. I am aware that Del Toro is not against Computer Generated Imagery, but the most creative stuff I've seen out of him is not generated by the computer; it is generated by the brain. It takes an inventive man to tackle inventive films, and if that's what you need, call Del Toro. He's the man for the time and place. I am convinced that while not everything out of him will be awesome, everything that Del Toro directs will be worth seeing. I like my directors daring, educated, and visually intelligent. Del Toro is all of these things. Perhaps that is why to this day, he is still one of the most visually accomplished men in all of Hollywood, or cinema in general. And he deserves whatever praise he has gotten, to the core. I will support him every chance that I get.

• Chris B

  
  An amazing debut from del Toro. A genre bending film that is a pleasure to watch.

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