Does the analogy to Christ in “Cronos” create art-horror?

Del Toro's movie “Cronos” is filled with symbolism that leaves lots of room for discussion. Focusing on the main character Jesus Gris there are many comparisons to the religious figure Christ. According to Rudolf Otto the object of religious experience is tremendous causing fear within a subject. The attraction of horror connected with the elements of religious accounts creates a certain fascination within the audience. Carroll theorizes that the fascination with art-horror is driven by curiosity. Curiosity involves the desire to know created by the drama of the existence of a monster and its properties. Within religion there is a sense of curiosity of knowing what is meant for us after death. Is death really the end or is there eternal life after death? Del Toro brings out these elements with the development of Jesus Gris and connects him with similarities of Christ in turn creating a monster that audiences are fascinated as well as horrified with. In Carroll’s sense Jesus became a monster when he returned from his death seemingly alive. I say seemingly alive because Jesus becomes a disgustingly undead creature. He feeds on the blood of humans, his skin begins to peel into a marble slimy coating, he cannot tolerate sunlight, etc. He becomes interesting to the audience due to this nature. It gives an interpretation of what eternal life after death can bring. The development of Jesus in connection to Christ throughout the movie also creates fascination driven by curiosity. The plot of the movie takes place around Christmas, the time of Christ’s birth. This coincidence gives the audience the sense of celebration of life connected to rebirth. Christ is first introduced into the plot when Jesus willingly allows the mechanism to insert into his hand. He prays for his soul to remain attached which gives the audience a sense of suspense. Jesus seems to have the knowledge that whatever the device carries could be unholy. It foreshadows what is to come, an unholy version of eternal life. The device seems to be an addiction for Jesus that he becomes dependent upon. The feeling of eternal life and youth overcomes him self as he believes he can beat the process of death. When Jesus returns from the dead there are interesting marks on his body to compare to the death of Christ on the cross. Puncture wounds through his palms and glass in his foot resemble the wounds created when Christ was nailed to cross. As Jesus learns that blood from human life rejuvenates his body his skin begins to peel. In comparison to Christ this is Jesus’ resurrection. The peeling off of his skin is a rebirth into human form for Jesus. His skin is no longer full of death and decay, but life. This places the question in the audience’s mind of what is to come next. Is Jesus going to turn on his granddaughter and others for their blood? This knowledge creates a fear in the audience that Jesus could turn evil at any time. When he begins to turn on his granddaughter for her blood, she becomes his anchor and calls him into reality. In the end Jesus rejects his monstrous self and destroys the Chronos device, another analogy to Christ that good overcomes evil. According to Carroll the analogy between religion and art-horror appears to be hazardous and unreliable. So the use of the religious analogy to Christ does not create art horror it is the disgusting nature of the monster that does.