Cronos (Limited Edition) 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

An Alchemical Genesis for a Visionary Director

Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos (1992) is more than a debut feature—it’s a declaration of artistic intent. Emerging from Mexico’s burgeoning indie film scene, this genre-defying tale of immortality and moral decay introduced the world to del Toro’s signature blend of Gothic grandeur, emotional intimacy, and macabre invention. Starring Federico Luppi as an aging antiques dealer ensnared by a cursed relic, and Ron Perlman as the brutish enforcer of a dying tycoon, Cronos marries fairy-tale wonder with visceral horror, crafting a story that feels both timeless and startlingly original. Though initially overlooked by the Academy Awards (despite being Mexico’s official submission), the film has since solidified its status as a cult classic, earning a coveted spot in The Criterion Collection as well as this release from The British Film Institute and inspiring a generation of filmmakers. 

A Faustian Bargain in Gilded Shadows

The film opens in 16th-century Veracruz, where a reclusive alchemist crafts a scarab-like device capable of bestowing eternal life—at a grotesque cost. Centuries later, in 1997, elderly antiques dealer Jesús Gris (Luppi) stumbles upon the Cronos device hidden within a statue. What begins as curiosity soon spirals into obsession: the mechanism clamps onto its user, injecting a mysterious substance that reverses aging but awakens a vampiric thirst. Gris’s initial euphoria—renewed vitality, restored hair, even a rekindled libido—gives way to horror as he realizes the price of his transformation. 

Del Toro juxtaposes Gris’s tragic arc with the machinations of Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook), a frail industrialist desperate to claim the device. Dieter dispatches his resentful nephew Angel (Perlman), a hulking sadist, to retrieve the artifact. What unfolds is a collision of greed and desperation, as Gris clings to his humanity while Dieter’s cruelty exposes the rot beneath his wealth. 

The Wound Beneath the Skin: Mortality as Metaphor

At its core, Cronos is a meditation on the paradox of immortality. The Cronos device doesn’t heal—it parasitizes, demanding blood to sustain its host. Gris’s rebirth is laced with decay: his skin peels to reveal marble-white flesh, sunlight scorches him, and his cravings alienate him from his devoted granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath). Del Toro frames vampirism not as a supernatural curse but as a mirror to human frailty. When Gris licks blood from a bathroom floor or hesitates before his granddaughter’s bleeding hand, we witness not a monster, but a man torn between addiction and love. 

Religious iconography permeates the film, from archangel statues to Gris’s whispered prayers, yet del Toro subverts these symbols. Salvation here is not divine but self-determined. In the climax, Gris destroys the device, choosing mortal dignity over eternal hunger—a act of sacrifice that elevates the narrative from grotesque fable to poignant tragedy. 

Performances Carved in Ivory and Gold

Federico Luppi delivers a masterclass in understated pathos. His Gris is neither hero nor victim but a flawed everyman seduced by the promise of youth. Watch the subtle shift in his posture as the device rejuvenates him—shoulders straighten, eyes brighten—only for terror to creep in as his reflection reveals the truth. Ron Perlman, in his first of many collaborations with del Toro, balances menace and dark comedy; Angel’s petty grievances make him oddly relatable despite his brutality. 

Young Tamara Shanath’s Aurora is the film’s moral compass. Silent for much of the runtime, her wide-eyed observations—a child witnessing adult corruption—anchor the story’s emotional weight.

Aesthetic Alchemy: Practical Magic

Del Toro’s penchant for practical effects shines in the Cronos device itself—a biomechanical marvel of clockwork legs and insectoid menace. The transformation scenes, achieved through prosthetics rather than CGI, retain a tactile grotesquerie. Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro bathes interiors in amber and shadow, evoking Renaissance paintings, while the score by Javier Álvarez weaves harpsichord and dissonant strings into a haunting lullaby. 

The director’s love for layered symbolism is evident: Dieter’s sterile penthouse contrasts with Gris’s cluttered antique shop, juxtaposing soulless modernity with decaying history. Even the device’s design—part scarab, part saintly reliquary—blurs the line between sacred and profane. 

Legacy: The Seed of a Dark Imagination 

Though modest in budget, Cronos laid the foundation for del Toro’s later masterpieces. Its themes—the innocence of children confronting adult monstrosity (Pan’s Labyrinth), the haunting persistence of history (The Devil’s Backbone)—echo throughout his filmography. The 2010 standalone sequel We Are What We Are (linked only by Tito the Coroner’s reappearance) further explores the consequences of inherited trauma, proving Cronos’ mythos remains fertile ground. 

The Video

Cronos has been scanned and restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative, with color grading overseen by director Guillermo del Toro. The resulting 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision transfer appears organic and detailed, featuring naturally saturated colors and layered grain without noise. This is a textured and satisfying transfer by BFI.

The Audio

The audio from Cronos is provided in three options, LPCM 2.0 stereo, LPCM 2.0 stereo with Spanish opening narration, and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 I selected the lossless 5.1 mix as my reference and sampled the LPCM 2.0 mix. The 5.1 is balanced, atmospheric, and front-heavy, with the surrounds used mostly for ambiance and atmospheric effects. The score sounds lush, and dialogue has good dynamics.

The Supplements

BFI provides numerous bonus features, including interviews with del Toro and Navarro, a 60-page book, a poster, and more.

Bonus Features:

• 60-page book featuring new essays by Michelle Kisner, Rich Johnson, Barry Forshaw, and Michael Leader. Also includes an edited version of ‘Guillermo del Toro: The origins of horror and Cronos’, an interview that originally appeared in The Faber Book of Mexican Cinema, by Jason Wood and an original Sight & Sound review by John Kraniauskas; film credits and notes on the special features
• A set of four postcards featuring images from the film
• Fold-out poster featuring the new artwork by Clément Deneu
• Audio Commentary by director Guillermo del Toro
• Audio Commentary with Producers Arthur H. Gorson and Bertha Navarro and Co-Producer Alejandro Springall. In English and Spanish with Optional Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Jason Wood
• Image Gallery (1080p; 00:14:37)

Disc 2 – Special Features Blu-ray Disc:

• Cronos (1080p; 00:33:42) – An Introduction by Guillermo del Toro and Olivier Père – This discursive interview, recorded in 2024, provides an extended introduction to Cronos and the director’s work.
• Geometria (1080p; 00:06:27) – A struggling student gets more than he bargained for when he invokes a demon, in this darkly-comic horror shot.
• Guillermo de Toro on Geometria (1080p; 00:06:53) – The director reminisces about the making of Geometria in this 2010 interview.
• BFI Screen Talk: Guillermo del Toro (1080i/50; 01:14:28) – Around the time of the release of The Shape of Water in 2017, the director discusses his career in an interview filmed at the BFI London Film Festival.
• Making of “Cronos” with Federico Luppi (1080i/60; 00:05:25) – The actor looks back on the making of the film in this 2003 interview.
• Interview with the Director (1080i/50; 00:59:42) – An in-depth interview with the director of Cronos.
• Interview with Guillermo del Toro (1080p; 00:17:36) – The director discusses his first feature film and why it remains so important to him in this 2010 interview.
• Interview with Guillermo Navarro (1080p; 00:12:36) – The director of photography on Cronos recalls his approach to lighting and shooting the film in this 2010 interview.
• Interview with Ron Perlman (1080p; 00:07:25) – The actor remembers how he came to appear in Cronos in this 2010 interview.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080i/60; 00:01:29)

The Final Assessment

Thirty years on, Cronos feels eerily prescient in an era obsessed with youth and legacy. Its true horror lies not in gore but in its question: What would we sacrifice to outrun death? Guillermo del Toro’s answer—a tender, grotesque, and ultimately hopeful fable—reminds us that immortality without humanity is a hollow shell. In the final shot we’re left not with fear, but with a quiet awe at the fragile beauty of letting go. The BFI bring the film new life in this breathtaking 4K restoration on 4K Ultra HD Disc. Highly recommended.

Cronos (Limited Edition) is out on 4K Ultra HD from BFI

• Rating Certificate: R (for horror violence and for language)
• Studios & Distributors: CNCAIMC | Fondo de Fomento a la Calidad Cinematográfica | Grupo Del Toro | Guillermo Springall | Iguana Producciones | Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE) | S.T.P.C. | Servicos Filmicos ANC | Universidad de Guadalajara | Ventana Films | BFI
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Written By: Guillermo del Toro
• Run Time: 93 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 593 nits
  • MaxFALL: 19 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: Spanish LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Secondary Audio: Spanish LPCM 2.0 Stereo with Spanish Opening Narration | Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English | English SDH
• Street Date: 24 February 2025