Cronos
Watch Trailer
Synopsis
When an elderly Mexican antique dealer accidentally discovers a 400-year-old alchemical golden scarab that grants eternal youth at the cost of an insatiable thirst for human blood, he becomes the target of a dying billionaire willing to kill for immortality.
Our Review
Supernatural stories have been a part of everybody’s lives. Some people hate this subject and some people enjoy this. However, there are some people who want to make their lives like that and start practicing strange arts and dark arts of the forbidden world. No matter what, we are still unsure of many things and we never know if these things do exist or not. Cronos is a story where an ancient alchemist creates some device and then the whole story revolves around this mysterious and strange subject.
Unlike the traditional cloaked counts found in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Guillermo del Toro presents a deeply emotional, tragic portrait of immortality.
This is a different kind of film and is different from other vampire movies. You must watch this in order to enjoy everything, the world is filled with strange souls!
Plot
The film starts with an alchemist creates something mysterious and the year is 1536. He creates this device and names it as the Cronos device, which is the key to the eternal life. He wanted to live forever and therefore he creates this device. The time goes by and the passage of time makes everything different.
Hundred years later, a museum walls sudden break, and the year is 1937. From the statue emerges a man with wounds, mortal wounds all over the chest and then he looked someone from ancient world. He is not alive but seems to be dead. He is the alchemist of that long-gone era. People do not know anything about the person and the device that he has created. It is a mystery!
One day, an antique dealer finds this device hidden inside the base of an archangel statue, and then everything starts changing. The device confirms the eternity and immortality but whoever uses that start to crave for human blood and in this way the life of a person starts to increase. The whole film is about the Cronos device.
Ending Explained
In the final rooftop confrontation, Jesús Gris throws himself and Angel de la Guardia off the building to save his granddaughter, killing Angel on impact. Severely injured but still undead, Jesús is tempted to drink Aurora’s fresh blood when she cuts her hand, as his demonic thirst peaks.
Proving that his love for his granddaughter is stronger than the monstrous curse, Jesús resists the urge. Instead, he grabs the Cronos device and smashes it with a stone, breaking the alchemical bond. Realizing that destroying the machine ends his immortality, Jesús returns home with Aurora and his wife, calmly watching the sunrise from his bed as he passes away peacefully as a mortal man surrounded by love.
What We Think About This Movie
What We Liked
Guillermo del Toro's visionary world-building, replacing traditional supernatural fangs with a stunning gold, clockwork scarab mechanism.
Federico Luppi's profoundly touching and dignified performance as an aging grandfather gradually losing his humanity.
The tender, largely wordless emotional bond between Jesús Gris and his silent granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath).
Ron Perlman's darkly comic, brutish turn as the vain, nose-job-obsessed American thug Angel de la Guardia.
What We Didn't Like
Modest low-budget independent production scale compared to del Toro's later Hollywood works.
The deliberate, slower gothic pacing might test viewers expecting high-octane action.
Who Should Watch
Fans of poetic dark fantasy, early Guillermo del Toro classics like Pan's Labyrinth, atmospheric art-house horror, and those who appreciate psychological takes on the genre like Martin (1977).
Who Should Skip
Viewers looking for fast-paced creature features, conventional jump-scare slasher horror, or flashy Hollywood action like Blade (1998).
Movie Details
Where to Watch Cronos in the USA
Frequently Asked Questions About Cronos
Is Cronos (1993) worth watching?
Yes. Holding an 8.4/10 rating on MovieToWatch, Cronos is an internationally acclaimed dark fantasy masterpiece that introduced the world to the unique visual genius of Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro.
Who directed Cronos?
The film was written and directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro in his full-length feature directorial debut.
What is the Cronos device?
In the film, the Cronos device is an intricate, mechanical golden scarab engineered by a 16th-century alchemist that houses an immortal insect; it injects a chemical venom into the user that grants eternal youth in exchange for a craving for blood.
Did Cronos win any awards?
Yes. Cronos swept Mexico's Ariel Awards winning nine categories (including Best Picture and Best Director) and took home the Mercedes-Benz Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
How long is Cronos?
The film has an official runtime of 94 minutes (1 hour and 34 minutes).
What is the age rating for Cronos?
It is rated R for vampire violence, body horror, thematic darkness, and brief language.
