Cruella movie review: A Disney remake triumph of trouble in tulle

They say the devil’s in the details and Disney pulled out all the stops in their retelling of the studio’s most striking scoundrel: Cruella. The film is Oliver Twist meets The Devil Wears Prada,  with undertones of steampunk and, more obviously, motifs of spots.

It’s a whirlwind of breathtaking costumes, bold patterns, art without boundaries and a whole lot of trouble.

Starting from her birth and ending with the mad baddie we all know and love–perhaps now more than ever–Cruella follows the journey of young “Estella” (Emma Stone) down her path of darkness, beginning with the untimely demise of her mother.

Now an orphan, Estella resorts to growing up a conniving, but gifted, thief with a special eye for fashion. When her hot-head and impulsive nature manages to grab the attention of London’s fashion icon Baroness (Emma Thompson), Estella believes it’s her big break.

And, in a sense, it is. It’s her big break from sanity.

Disney gets fabulously dark, bringing to life psychotic fashionistas in Cruella

Craig Gillespie, known for his dark comedy work in I, Tonya, creates a film that not only recounts Cruella’s harsh childhood and misunderstood adulthood–explored first in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians–but actually brings the story to life in a visual mash-up that reflects the fabulous but twisted vision of Cruella herself.

Quick cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis matches the quick wit and pointed movements of the film’s anti-hero and the deep, alluring color palette parallels the gothic tones of Cruella’s smokey make-up, layered leather ensembles, and affinity for blood-red fabric. Cruella (as well as Estella) sees the world in senses of fashion and desire, where anything and everything–including the fur of spotted dogs–can be utilized for the benefit of making something beautiful.

Gillespie, along with production designer Fiona Crombie and costume designers Jenny Beavan and Tom Davies seamlessly pull viewers into the world, wrapping them up in so many luxury silks, lace, and satins that they root for Cruella as she punches out one incredible dress after another to out-shine and out-smart a narcissistic Baroness.

Not that Cruella is anymore selfless, but she’s the one that turned a dumpster truck into a chariot for her wild creations.

And the performances in the film are just as stunning, with Emma stone surprising the world with how well she fits in vindictive skin while still maintaining the sharp humor she’s always been known for. Similarly, Emma Thompson, though an acclaimed actor of many masks, is still bone-chilling in how well she portrays evil incarnate. Both staring performances–and the posh and polished accents–are more than worthy of praise.

Gillespie’s Cruella is a battle of the Emmas, both “brilliant, bad and a little bit mad.”

But perhaps the best part of Disney’s latest live-action remake isn’t the visuals, as captivating as they are. The film proves its cleverness in its subtle, but powerful repetition of what Cruella is most known for: “Cruel.”

The word comes up again and again in the movie, but always in a different way. From using the term to define Estella’s pointed and bold statements as a child, to using the term as a justification for vandalizing a window display–even if it did look ten times better–the word “cruel” has widely varying roots in the film and it seems to be Gillespie’s way of connecting audiences to Cruella, familiarizing cruelness so much that it’s almost like an accessory to the main characters charm, rather than a reason to fear her.

But let’s also not forget the electrifying soundtrack that builds the angst and anticipation of Cruella’s next triumph in tulle. This movie is meant to fill your senses with the blazing world of Ms. De Ville, each moment and scene more fantastic than the last. It’s a magnificent work of art and has set the bar high for Disney’s next project.

Cruella has also created a new category of Disney films. While Maleficent showed there was a desire in the fanbase to see more from villains, Cruella is, hopefully, the trendsetter for Disney starting to take bolder steps with their scripts, no longer afraid to wade into the waters of true insanity and, let’s just say it, cruelty.

Cruella is now available to stream on Disney Plus. Have you seen the film? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!