For proof that the vampire film is resoundingly undead, consider Cronos, a very stylish and sophisticated Mexican variation on some age-old themes. Suffused with clever ambiguities and staged with unexpected grace, Cronos finds its originality in unlikely ways. Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi) is an antiques dealer who comes across a precious artifact one memorable morning. Buried inside the base of a statue is the title object, an innocent-looking golden egg that happens to possess the obligatory magic powers. Once Jesús finds himself in the grip of the Cronos device, his life is not the expected downhill slide.
Like the audience itself, Jesús is initially both fearful and puzzled, gradually learning to live with his new condition. Meanwhile, the device is desperately wanted by Angel de la Guardia (Ron Perlman), an ugly American whose second fondest dream is having plastic surgery. De la Guardia’s first wish is to save the life of his uncle, an industrialist named Dieter, by securing the Cronos and bending it to Dieter’s will. Cronos is a film that displays high style while reveling in its own many mysteries.
– Janet Maslin, The New York Times
