CRONOS was del Toro's film debut and future themes are already here: body horror, brutal villains, gothic romanticism and the shifting lines between life and death.
Federico Luppi is marvelous as Jesús Gris, an antique shop owner who notices a thug taking an interest in an old carving of the Archangel. Later Jesús and his grand-daughter Aurora discover a gold scarab-like object within it.
Suddenly the object buries six spikes into Jesus' palm; after detaching it, he discovers a silver-stinger buried in his hand.
Jesús is soon consumed with thirst that is only sated with blood, with each feeding he looks younger.
The thug reappears; he is Angel and his businessman uncle is obsessed with owning the Cronos.
The dying businessman reveals a 16th century alchemist invented the Cronos to give immortality through it's sting.
Jesús fights with Angel and his uncle to the death...and beyond.
Shelf or charity shop? A creepy keeper in my plastic storage
box, I can definitely see myself watching Guillermo del Toro's nightmare-ish visions allied to the tender story of the bond between Jésus and Aurora again. By the way... all the film posters for CRONOS have the device feeding on the body of a young woman which never happens in the film. They obviously thought that would get audiences through the door rather than it draining 57 year-old Luppi...
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