Cronos

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Cronos

R

1993

1h 32m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) stumbles across Cronos, a 400-year-old scarab that, when it latches onto him, grants him youth and eternal life -- but also a thirst for blood. As Jesus enjoys his newfound vitality, he's unaware that a dying old man, Dieter de La Guardia (Claudio Brook), has sent his nephew, Angel (Ron Perlman), to find the scarab and bring it back to him. But Jesus will not give immortality up easily, even risking the life of his orphan granddaughter (Tamara Shanath).

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Critics Consensus

Guillermo del Toro's unique feature debut is not only gory and stylish, but also charming and intelligent.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

02/19/2025

3/5

Cronos gallops on, in its peculiar way, to a conclusion that is weird without being especially shocking. But it certainly has a distinctive authorial signature, the work of a very individual film-maker.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

10/05/2013

3/4

Guillermo del Toro's feature debut is an arch twist on the vampire tale.

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

10/05/2013

Cronos surprises with its sophisticated and spirited look at a tale straight from the crypt.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Jan 22

[It's] a pleasure to see del Toro work out his early ambitions in a world he didn’t design.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

02/24/2025

3/5

It's hardly a bad effort, for it certainly shows us a glimmer of the greatness to come in [Del Toro's] later films, with their wild designs and stronger narratives, but Cronos really ended up being a kind of stepping stone for him to get there.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

02/24/2025

5/5

…Cronos is the kind of beautifully achieved film that should be shown to anyone about to start work on their first feature; it’s not so high-concept or expensive to realise, but it’s wildly imaginative and could only come from Gullermo del Toro…

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matthias S

@Thescreenasvor Apr 26

I went into Cronos pretty blind, just knowing it’s an early Guillermo del Toro project. The premise is genuinely intriguing, but the execution doesn’t fully land. The first half especially drags with some really dull stretches. It does pick up later and you can see the craftsmanship, but the script feels surprisingly boring. There are hints of Del Toro’s style, so fans might find something to enjoy, but overall it’s just okay.

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Stoner J.

@Stoner Mar 21

Definitely a Del Toro movie. It’s a pretty good sort of horror-drama-fantasy, the kind he’s known for now.

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Mo S.

@9mr_0 Dec 14

فيلم متوسط قصه بسيطه و احداث عاديه

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Tom F

@RT55173143 Dec 6

A pretty interesting take on vampire film tropes, but a bit of a mess.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Oct 22

Success in 1 hour and 32 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Kalissa H

@kali_416 Jul 20

A different take on vampires. Quite cool.

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Guillermo del Toro

Director

Federico Luppi

Jesús Gris

Ron Perlman

Angel de la Guardian

Claudio Brook

Dieter de la Guardian

Margarita Isabel

Mercedes Gris

Tamara Shanath

Aurora Gris

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Synopsis

Antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) stumbles across Cronos, a 400-year-old scarab that, when it latches onto him, grants him youth and eternal life -- but also a thirst for blood. As Jesus enjoys his newfound vitality, he's unaware that a dying old man, Dieter de La Guardia (Claudio Brook), has sent his nephew, Angel (Ron Perlman), to find the scarab and bring it back to him. But Jesus will not give immortality up easily, even risking the life of his orphan granddaughter (Tamara Shanath).

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Arthur Gorson, Bertha Navarro
Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro
Distributor: October Films
Production Co: Ventana Films
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2017
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Stereo