Cronos (1993) – Film Review

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook
Certificate: 15

By Sarah Morgan

It’s not always easy to stand out from the crowd, but Guillermo del Toro has been doing it for his entire career.

While some movies look bland, as if the director has done nothing but point the camera in the right direction, the visionary Mexican film-maker’s work is instantly recognisable as his own, full of quirks and stylish moments fans and critics recognise as his own a mile away.

But even the greats, and del Toro will no doubt go down as one, have to start somewhere; in his case it was with 1993’s Cronos.

It’s a mix of horror, fantasy and family drama that begins with a prologue introducing the origins of Cronos itself, a device designed in ancient times to keep its owner alive forever – the only thing that can kill him or her is being stabbed through the heart.

“Assured”

A wealthy, dying businessman has been searching for it for years. Eventually, his henchman nephew, Angel, locates it, hidden within a statue for sale in the antiques shop run by Jesus Gris. But before Angel can get his hands on it, Jesus has accidentally used it, and is suddenly rejuvenated.

But there are drawbacks. Jesus must keep what has happened a secret, although his mute little granddaughter, Aurora, becomes his helper. Plus, the only way to stay alive is to keep quenching his thirst for human blood.

What’s more, the businessman remains determined to use the device himself, before Death comes calling, leading to a dangerous showdown.

Few writer-directors can have had such an assured debut; Cronos appears to have been made without any kind of compromise of vision or ambition, which makes it quite remarkable.

Not only is it visually stunning, with impressive, non-CGI special effects that have a steampunk feel to them, it’s full of wonderful performances, including that of Federico Luppi as Jesus and Ron Perlman, who has since become a regular del Toro collaborator, as the brutish but oddly sympathetic nephew.

“Hallmarks”

Tamara Shanath is also brilliant as Jesus’s beloved granddaughter, who is smart beyond her years, and is determined to keep her grandfather with her forever, hidden in an old toy box; it would be fascinating to have some kind of sequel now, more than 30 years on, to find out how her life has panned out.

If nothing else, del Toro fans who are only familiar with his later work, such as the Hellboy movies, Pan’s Labyrinth and the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water, will get a chance to see where it all began for their hero, and witness the formation of certain tropes that have become his hallmarks.

The release comes packed with special features too, including a several fascinating interviews with del Toro himself and an early short film.

Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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