Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious and audacious feature debut with Cronos, a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immortality. Kindly antiques dealer Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi) happens upon an ancient golden device in the shape of a scarab, and soon finds himself the possessor and victim of its sinister, addictive powers, as well as the target of a mysterious American named Angel (a delightfully crude and deranged Ron Perlman). Featuring marvelous makeup effects and the haunting imagery for which del Toro has become world-renowned, Cronos is a dark, visually rich, and emotionally captivating fantasy.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Cronos with a first-rate 2160p HDR/Dolby Vision transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that has been supervised and approved by director Guillermo del Toro. The film was previously released 15 years ago on Blu-Ray in 2010 with an older 2K scan by Criterion. While the older transfer was very pleasing at the time of release and still holds up exceptionally well, this new release brings out a world of nuance that fans will want to explore.

The new Dolby Vision transfer will be somewhat controversial due to the finessing of the color timing, but the presentation contains many bold hues that look more complex than ever. The array of locales over the course of the narrative look extremely impressive. This presentation is more devoted to accuracy rather than providing a flashy demo-reel for the imagery. Highlights are handled effortlessly with no obvious blooming as whites radiate famously. The film handles the black levels particularly well as it virtually never succumbs to crush or noise. There is obvious improvement in the handling of the contrast.

This transfer preserves the natural film grain which resolves faithfully, allowing for an exquisite amount of fine detail to show up. When you are exploring a world constructed by Guillermo del Toro, you want to clearly see all of the textural delights he has on display. Discrete facets of the production design and makeup reveal more personality than the previous presentation. There are no signs of grain reduction as you get a fine sheen that resolves evenly without breaking up into swarmy noise. There are elements of this shadowy presentation that put the transfer to the test, but this encode largely holds its own. Any previous moments of print damage such as nicks or scratches have also been eradicated. This film has received the presentation it deserves thanks to the Criterion Collection.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Spanish remastered from the 35mm magnetic track which sounds terrific. The disc gives you the option of experiencing the original Spanish-language voice-over introduction or the English theatrical voiceover. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with impeccable fidelity as it avoids being overwhelmed by competing elements. There are no instances of age-related wear and tear as the track holds up as well as it should.

The score is used effectively to establish the tone of the story, and this track allows it to sound truly beautiful. Environmental sounds are conjured with a haunting presence alongside everything else. All pertinent information is respectfully represented, and it maintains a delicate balance so that discerning the focus of any moment is a breeze. The low end allows for a bit of texture, but it is far from a showcase. The Criterion Collection has given this film a grand audio experience. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Cronos includes a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Maitland McDonagh and excerpts from del Toro’s notes for the film. All of this gives rich insight into the film. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentaries: Two archival commentary tracks are provided in which the creative figures discuss the creation of the film including the music, the location shooting, the development of the script, details about the performers, how they accomplished certain shots, thematic undercurrents, and more.

- Audio Commentary #1: Guillermo del Toro (2002)

- Audio Commentary #2: Producers Arthur H. Gorson and Bertha Navarro and coproducer Alejandro Springall (2002)

Geometria: A nearly seven-minute short film from director Guillermo del Toro made in 1987 that shows early signs of what we would come to love about the filmmaker.

- Interview: A seven-minute interview with the filmmaker who discusses the history behind this short and the updates he made to make this in line with his intended vision.

Welcome To Bleak House: A ten-minute tour of the office of Guillermo del Toro with all kinds of cool oddities.

Interviews

- Guillermo del Toro: An 18-minute interview from 2010 in which the filmmaker discusses what this film means to him in his career, putting an emphasis on story and familial relations, the experience of making the film, the themes of the feature, and more.

- Guillermo Navarro: A 13-minute interview from 2009 in which the cinematographer discusses his history with Guillermo del Toro, getting his sister involved in producing the film, the distinct vision of the filmmaker, and more.

- Ron Perlman: An eight-minute piece from 2009 with the actor in which he discusses getting a fan letter from del Toro, how he approached acting in a Spanish-language film, his collaborative process with the director, and more.

- Federico Luppi: A nearly six-minute archival program in which the actor discusses his experiences working on Cronos, the approach of Guillermo del Toro, and more.

Stills Gallery: A collection of rare photos and illustrations featuring captions from del Toro.

Trailer (1:29)

Final Thoughts

Cronos is an unbelievable feature debut from Guillermo del Toro that displays many of the hallmarks that would make him one of the most beloved filmmakers in the business today. There is a haunting beauty to the horrific imagery as del Toro captures the pathos in the macabre. All of the performers do a wonderful job, and it is especially fun to see Ron Perlman beginning his fruitful collaboration with the filmmaker in such a memorable role. If you are a fan of the filmmaker and have not seen this one yet, you are in for a treat. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a fantastic A/V presentation and great selection of archival special features. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Cronos will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on February 25, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.