Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the 1946 noir novel Nightmare Alley sat on his “announced with intent” plate for quite some time. And while it didn’t boast the supernatural aspects that previous del Toro films are known for, much of the novel’s territory seemed to fall right into del Toro’s wheelhouse, especially the traveling carnival awash in both light and dark forces. Del Toro’s film hews closer to William Lindsay Gresham’s original novel than the 1947 Tyrone Power-led version; the earlier film significantly softened the book’s ending, which is startlingly dark even for noir. As We Got This Covered writes, the quality of Nightmare Alley is reflected in its many awards, and this morning’s announcement adds an Oscar nod to the list. And while many assumed it would take a place on the longer Best Picture list, some surprised fans still question why it didn’t garner further nominations in more categories. One of the primary elements for which the film has been lauded is its incredible visuals, so it came as no great surprise that veteran cinematographer Dan Lausten earned a nod from the Academy. The nomination for Best Production Design goes to del Toro regulars Shane Vieau and Tamara Deverell. A Best Costume Design nomination also goes to Luis Sequeira, who won for The Shape of Water. Many will argue that the performances by the Nightmare Alley cast were more than impressive enough to earn nominations, and that the adapted script did wonders with the original material, though it seems the Academy voters didn’t see it the same way. Expect to see more of this discussion hitting social media from the film’s devoted fans.

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