Now that Crimson Peak has come, and everyone is in one of two camps (they loved it, or they felt meh toward it), we can begin looking into the making of Guillermo Del Toro’s epic gothic romance. I’ve always loved his films, not only for his masterful storytelling, but because of the amazing love and care that goes into designing them. Delo Toro is very much hands on in that process, and is one of those people that you can’t believe has all these ideas in his head.

When I had my first experience with Crimson Peak, at Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, I knew, if nothing else, it was going to be a gorgeous film. And after seeing it, I was not wrong. Thankfully, the peek behind the curtain into Del Toro’s, and his art department’s, process is on full display in the book Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness.

Mark Salisbury, who has done some other fantastic “making of” books before, took charge of this one, and I’m glad he did. He really delves into the subject matter, and covers much of the filmmaking process, allowing us a full scope of what went into it. He does the same here, really opening up a door into the world of the film.

Filled with beautiful photos, tons of extra bits, detailed fold out sections, and little blurbs from Del Toro’s cast and team, the book really is a must have for fans, not just of the film, but of Del Toro himself.

Del Toro offers the foreword to the book, explaining how he has always wanted to make a film like this before, and was able to make a Gothic romance that paid homage to the past, while also bringing in new fans. Sex and violence have always played a part in this genre, and for the 21^st century sensibilities, he explains that he turned up the dial on them both.

What is interesting is that, beyond the foreword, Salisbury manages to write a masterful making of story of the film, but at the same time, focusing on the production work and art department’s massive contribution to it. In a lot of ways, the two go hand in hand, but it’s just wonderful to see the two on display in full force.

The craftsmanship that goes into every detail is staggering. While of course, the film’s most impressive set of Allerdale Hall is fully explored, you’ll also learn about some of the finer details, such as the wallpaper, wood finishes, and so much more. Interspersed here are Del Toro and the cast speaking on character’s motivations and themes, which, when reading between the lines, clearly are in synch with the design of the film overall.

The initial chapters are all focused on the individual characters of the film, going very much into detail on casting, rehearsal, and production overall. Every character’s chapter has a massive biography in it, a detail that Del Toro has employed in all of his films to date, so the actors have a bit more background as to who they are playing. Getting to see this mastery at work was intriguing, to see the detail not just on the screen, but what Del Toro does to help bring his characters to life.

While the discussions on Kate Hawley’s costuming and designs are fantastic to read, being a Del Toro film, the real meat is on the creatures that inhabit the house. Of course, if you haven’t seen the film yet, it might be best to read those after you’ve visited Crimson Peak.

This book is really great. As a film junkie, I love the making of features that are usually on blu-rays these days. That said, I find it hard to believe that any special feature will even come close to the amount of detail included in this book. From top to bottom, it was chock full of behind the scenes details like no other. Salisbury has really knocked it out of the park here, and any Crimson Peak, or Del Toro, fan will thoroughly enjoy what he has pulled together.