Nightmare Alley Gets New Life with Criterion Collection Extended Director’s Cut Release
Introduction: A Second Chance for Del Toro’s Neo-Noir Masterpiece
Guillermo del Toro’s 2021 psychological thriller Nightmare Alley, nominated for an Academy Award, has been officially added to the Criterion Collection as part of their October home video offerings. This prestigious release marks a significant moment for the film, which flopped at the box office, grossing a total of $39.6 million worldwide against a $60 million production budget. The Criterion edition offers cinephiles and film enthusiasts a chance to rediscover this dark, visually stunning work in an entirely new format.
The Extended Black-and-White Vision
The crown jewel of this release is a new black-and-white extended version titled Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light, overseen by del Toro and previously shown only in select cities. This release includes a digital master of Vision in Darkness and Light, which only screened in theaters previously, and is the director’s cut supervised by del Toro which includes nine minutes of new footage. The filmmaker revealed in December 2024 that he had been working on this remastered version, and Nightmare Alley, starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, is now available to stream on Hulu.
A Film Ahead of Its Time
Nightmare Alley 4K Blu-ray Release Date October 28, 2025 (B&W Extended Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut). The film, which received four nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, has found renewed appreciation among critics and audiences. The Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs will host Guillermo Del Toro showing an expanded B&W ‘Nightmare Alley,’ along with ’40s classics. This recognition from the prestigious film noir festival underscores the film’s artistic merit and its place within the genre’s rich tradition.
Conclusion: Legacy and Significance for Cinema Lovers
The Criterion Collection release represents more than just another home video edition—it’s a vindication of del Toro’s artistic vision and an opportunity for audiences to engage with the film as the director intended. With its extended runtime, sumptuous black-and-white cinematography, and comprehensive special features including new conversations between del Toro and Bradley Cooper, this release serves as essential viewing for serious film enthusiasts. For those who missed the film during its troubled theatrical run, or for fans eager to experience del Toro’s fully realised vision, this Criterion edition offers the definitive way to discover one of the decade’s most visually arresting and thematically complex neo-noir thrillers.