Our second Volunteer Of The Month takes a dark detour courtesy of Maggie, who has chosen Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro’s 2015 gothic romance.

The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer haunted by the ghostly warning to “Beware of Crimson Peak.” After a whirlwind romance, she marries the enigmatic Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves to his decaying ancestral mansion, Allerdale Hall, alongside his mysterious sister, Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain). As Edith unravels the sinister history of the Sharpe family and the house itself, she discovers dark truths lurking beneath its beautiful, crumbling facade.

Combining haunting performances and atmosphere dripping with suspense, Crimson Peak is a masterful blend of romance and horror that pays homage to the classic gothic storytelling that its maker grew up obsessed with.