NIGHTMARE ALLEY

DISNEY+ MOVIE

Charismatic conman Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a fairground worker, ingratiates himself with clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) to learn the secrets of her mindreading act and use them to defraud 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) by his side, Stanton plots to scam a dangerous tycoon with the aid of a psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett, above left). At two-and-a-half hours, this Oscar-nominated film could have done with a trim but this dark vision from Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water) is appealingly seductive.