Our J.P. gives his thoughts on another “Dracula”-related film. Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp star in “Nosferatu.”
Nosferatu
(Focus Features)
- Directed by Robert Eggers
- Screenplay by Robert Eggers
- Based on Nosferatu by Henrik Galeen
- Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
- Starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Studio Synopsis:
Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young
woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
J.P.’s Take:
The 1922 German film “Nosferatu,” directed by F. W. Murnau, inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel “Dracula,” is often hailed as the original vampire movie. As the first cinematic portrayal of the infamous bloodsucker (actually there was a film produced in 1921 titled “The Afterlife Wanderer”, which was never released and no prints can be found), it made a significant impact despite being a silent film, thanks to its eerie, gothic imagery and haunting narrative. Over the years, many vampire films have emerged, including Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” from 1992, which clung to the original story.
2024 sees a new adaptation, also titled “Nosferatu,” which brings a darker and more chilling take on this classic tale. For those interested in the historical roots of one of horror’s most iconic figures, this film promises a fresh perspective that aims to highlight the character like never before. At first it appears to be a love story, one between Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and his bride Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp). The two are inseparable, that is until Thomas wants to make a better way for the two of them. Thomas is given the opportunity of a lifetime, when he is sent far away to accommodate a highly important nobleman by the name of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). This mysterious character wishes to purchase an old residence in the area and Thomas is there to sign the paperwork. What he finds is pure terror; not realizing who or rather what the Count is … .or what his motivations with Thomas’ bride are about.
What director Robert Eggers does well is study the source material closely. He understands what it takes to draw out the deepest, darkest of nightmares and paints the screen with dreary and dreadful imagery. It feels like horror movies of the 20s/30s era, with the added bonus of creeping sounds and shaded scenes in color. When it comes to presenting the iconic Count, we catch shadowy glimpses of him in a dark, ruined and moody castle. The Count’s voice is gurgly and heavily accented, with a deep tone, and you immediately want to get up and flee …hurriedly. This is what Thomas tried to do, once he came face-to-face with the dark one. I felt his panic as his pulse raced and sweat poured out of him in buckets.
That’s the kind of hold a character like The Count, a.k.a. Dracula, has on viewers. He’s the epitome of pure evil. The story is an entanglement of the occult, where Ellen has frightening visions and waking nightmares, which are afflicted upon her by Count Orlok himself. Her unwanted lust for him sets the stage for some eerie and disturbing moments between them. There is also a devastating epidemic plaguing the city, of which the players here are not aware of its true implications.
If you’ve watched plenty of classic vampire movies, you begin to witness the madness that entails as the story begins to unravel. What makes it so unsettling is you find out how far reaching Count Orlok’s influence truly is, which accounts for the reason everyone practically goes insane within this film.
Kudos is due to the cast as a whole from Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, Nicolas Holt as Thomas Hutter, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, Anna Corrin as Emma Harding, Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers and Simon McBurney as Herr Knock. If it wasn’t for their spot on and in depth performances, this film would not have had the chilling effect on me after a while.
Overall, the story and visuals are downright hypnotizing as was suggestive of the original 1922 version. Here it’s amplified in a chilling fashion.
Had “Nosferatu” been released around September/October, it would have started my horror movie marathon out with a bang. By the time I left the theater, I was left stunned and slightly disturbed …in a good way. Well done.
Official Site: Nosferatu
