saw nosferatu tonight and i'm not even close to a regular movie critic, but i don't know if i've ever seen a worse movie. i walked out of the theater with my mind absolutely blown, (and possibly destroyed). how did this even make it to theaters, and even more importantly, how does this movie have 87% on rotten tomatoes?? it was disgusting to say the least. wish i could bleach my eyes and my brain.

spoiler alert

edit: i will say that i had pretty much no problem with it until she's possessed and says something about her husband not being able to please her like the vampire could, and then in what seems like an attempt to prove a point, they start aggressively banging? like...who had that idea? at that point the whole movie was pretty much ruined for me, and then it somehow managed to get worse as the movie went on, which ruined it even further. i do think that it started off strange, alluding to her as a child allowing this vampire to come into her soul or whatever, it's pretty weird. but up until that specific scene, and the many ones that would soon follow, having any chance of liking this movie was gone for me.

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Summary:

A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Director:

Robert Eggers

Writers:

Robert Eggers, Henrik Galeen, Bram Stoker

Cast:

• Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter

• Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter

• Bill Skarsgaard as Count Orlok

• Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding

• Willem Dafoe as Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz

• Emma Corrin as Anna Harding

• Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Metacritic: 78

VOD: Theaters

Poster made by me, feel free to use it.

Horrible, horrific and heartbreaking. Everything that it was supposed to be and more. Egger’s yet again proving his understanding of folklore, removing the glorified version of vampires as the world had come to know them. The film rips away any form of positivity you could have towards Orlok- leaving you feeling repulsed and disgusted by him with absolutely zero redeeming qualities. The first true Strigoi in cinema and nobody could have done it but Egger’s. Bill is unrecognizable both vocally and visually. Lily-Rose is haunting, magnetic and terrorized through not only her dreams but her reality. Nicholas Holt is the perfect Thomas Hutter, as the grief and horror consumes him. Von Franz provides a voice for Ellen, camaraderie, and an opportunity to act as she must- without restraint. Costume design by Linda Muir was something I cannot even put into words. Ellen’s mourning-wear exceeded my expectations and my only sadness came from not seeing her lilac evening ensemble longer than it deserved. The soundtrack was perfection, giving me chills on several occasions and being the perfect background to each haunting shot.

If you are looking for some form of romanticism in the story, this is not your film. The torment is perfectly repulsive and this will be your truest insight to what people of 1838 truly believed the vampire to be. There is nothing about this story that does not make you want to burst into tears for Ellen or detest Orlok to the highest degree. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

This movie was wonderful and would recommend everyone see it. The director takes the story from the original silent film and expands upon it beautifully. The sets, costume, and camera work are a breath of fresh air and worth remembering.

Definitely worth a watch, had a really good time with it

Eggers Nosferatu is pure atmosphere with very little to no nuance in its retelling. I honestly thought it was kind of a mess. It looks unbelievable though. Really cool use of light and shadows. With that being said, Nosferatu is Eggers first miss in my opinion.

A testament to the fact that stunning cinematography, production design and a solid ensemble are not enough to make a great film.

Although if you liked a movie like longlegs which many of you seem to have enjoyed, you will probably absolutely love this.

For a movie that originally had no dialogue, this one is filled with nothing but people expositorily talking in dark rooms for scenes that drag on for way too long. Didnt find it thought provoking or suspenseful whatsoever. I think the biggest issue was the fact that none of these characters had any sort of personality or were interesting/dynamic at all which made it tough to become truly invested. They merely feel like props rather than lived in characters. The elements that excite are spaced out between… “fine” or "meh" moments. i repeat, shot beautifully, but just like… cool, what are we doing here and why do we care about these people?

Theres no doubt that Eggers is an absolute craftsmen and a wildly talented auteur, but this one just felt incredibly stiff and hollow. Not a bad movie by any means, but surely a disappointment at least in my eyes having been quite pumped for it since it was announced. Just a wonderfully shot nothing burger of a remake. Of course, this is all just my opinion. try not to crucify me.

Nosferatu (2024) is a fine film that misses the mark slightly while still being a visually pleasing journey through dread.

The good: The scenery, lighting, and some performances created a treat for the eyes. The monster itself is imposing, memorable, and represents a powerful force of nature. Our introduction to Nosferatu in particular does an good job of creating a monster that moves like a predator just beyond our field of vision, who defies the senses and exudes power. Nicholas Hoult does a fine job as a mild-mannered but resolute lead. Ralph Ineson and Willem Defoe are a welcome couple of side characters. To top those things off, the movie itself is paced thoughtfully and deliberately toward its end. The conclusion is powerfully acted and obeys its own in-universe rules. The special and practical effects were all believable from the clothing of the bourgeious to the movie monster's long imposing fingers.

The Bad:

The performances from some characters was off-putting and created the appearance that the actors themselves did not understand the intent behind their lines. Anna Harding's performance appears as one of a high-schooler quoting Shakespeare unsuccessfully while Aaron Taylor-Johnson gave a poor performance in most scenes he was in, coming across as an impotent shadow of the character he was meant to portray.

The lore given in 2024's Nosferatu vs 1929's Nosferatu is expanded upon clumsily, such that the new lore is a mess compared to the sparse details given in the original film. In 2024's version, Lily-Rose Depp's character Ellen had been plagued by Nosferatu her entire life, which creates confusing motivational descriptions for Nosferatu, who only pursued Ellen after her marriage to Thomas (Nicholas Hoult). Atop that, the plot's resolution is strange--one crew goes on an apparently useless adventure while Ellen stays behind to save the day. 2024's version chose not to capitalize on Ellen's self-sacrifice as a 'big reveal', which does not detract from the film itself, but may be perceived as a missed opportunity to showcase strength from goodness in such a selfless way (truthfully, both Mina Harker and Ellen Hutter are characters on whom directors seem to miss capitalizing--but that's a story for another time.)

At risk of comparing 1929's version to 2024's version, a subtheme was lost involving the power of sunlight in dispelling fears, which also feels like a miss as this subtheme was not replaced by anything in the modern version.

The medium: Lilly-Depp Rose as Ellen delivers a fine performance but underdelivers at crucial moments in the film which were then compounded by confusing directional choices which made Ellen appear to be possessed at certain moments in the film. The choreography at those moments in time look awkward--not so much as to ruin the movie, but enough so that you'll be pulled a little into uncanny valley or have your immersion broken. Ellen's virtuous character is muted from the original 1929 film which is unfortunate, however Ellen's interactions with Nosferatu itself are very strong and powerfully acted, creating very high peaks and offputting lows throughout the film.

Overall: This film is gorgeous. It is worth a watch or two. It may even find itself loved among a fervent many, but it is not without it's share of problems. While I had high hopes, this movie will likely not be among those I purchase for home use despite hitting many tones I enjoy.

Nosferatu: Directed By Robert Eggers:

Nosferatu is a tale as old as time, however Robert Eggers manages to make something ive seen so many times something I’ve never seen before. This is definitely Eggers version and it shows from the start of the movie right till the terrifyingly anxiety inducing final shot. When I the film finished I found myself paranoid over the dark corners of my house and jumping when the wind rattled my bedroom window. I was totally afraid to close my eyes to sleep. This film is as suffocating as Count Orlok’s coffin. The movie doesn’t let you rest or breathe for a single moment.

Let’s discuss the performances. Well the standout is clearly Lilly-Rose Depp who put in such a draining (in a good way) performance where I was watching in dreaded horror and wondering if her tiny body would break when she has her seizures. She also manages to make Ellen the most complex and interesting character in a film about a vampire. As well as Lilly-Rose Depp, we have Bill Skarsgard as the haunting and intimidating Count Orlok. I don’t have much to say without spoiling anything but I will say he’s completely humanly unrecognizable, I had no idea there was an actor on screen under the makeup, he transforms himself to the point that will have you guessing if that’s really Bill Skarsgard or an actual vampire that Robert Eggers found in Romania. We also have Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, this is a career best performance from Nicholas Hoult so far for me. He puts energy, concern and real fight into his performance that I just watch in awe. Willem Dafoe is well and truly having so much in his role as Doctor Von Franz, he brings a different kind of energy to the film, he also portrays his character as man on a mission, a mission to destroy the bringer of death. Emma Corin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also both star in this and both have more screen time than I thought they would going into this, and they both completely hold their own, and credit to them both for once again proving they’re both the film industry’s top rising talents. Lastly I want to speak on Simon McBurney as Herr Knock. I have a feeling this will be the most underrated performance of the Oscar’s calendar. From the moment we meet Knock you feel uncertain and you’ll shift uncomfortably in your seat. Simon McBurney is truly damn right bone chilling, and he’s not even the vampire!

The film is an absolute classic that will be studied by horror film makers for years and years. The cinematography alone is enough to leave you stunned and glued to the screen. You’ll want to look away but you won’t be able too. Please see this in theaters as late at night as you can as you’ll get the full effect then.

Nosferatu (2024) = 9.8/10

Debating if I should see it in the theatre, live vampire themes but I’m a baby when it comes to horror. Is it really scary or more erotic?

To keep it short, Eggers absolutely knocked it out of the park again.

I'm not gonna get into any spoilers since obviously most people haven't had the chance to see it yet.

The atmosphere, visuals, sound scape and amazing performances are just so captivating, they pull you directly into this dark depiction of 1800s Europe. All of that while telling an incredibly executed, timeless horror story.

My only complaints were that it was sometimes difficult to hear / understand what characters were saying (which had me trying to keep up with subtitles using my mediocre french) and one jumpscare in particular felt a little cheap.

These drawbacks were very much irrelevant given how great the film is.

I'll have to rewatch it before concluding if I like it more than The Witch. Still, I absolutely recommend you watch it as soon as possible.