Nosferatu (2024)

[SeanC]

Robert Eggers fulfills his childhood wish of doing his own version of F.W. Murnau's seminal German Expressionist film Nosferatu (and thus, by extension his own version of Bram Stoker's Dracula). This was originally supposed to be his second film, and a reunion with The Witch leading lady Anya Taylor-Joy, but due to a half-decade's worth of production delays, it is his fourth film and starring Lily-Rose Depp.

Overall, pretty good. The only real argument I could make against it is that it never really surprises, but then, it's a remake of an earlier film/adaptation of one of the most widely-known novels ever written, so I'm not sure it ever could have. That it was less of a novelty than Eggers' first three films was baked in.

There was a lot of skepticism when Depp was cast, but I figured Eggers warranted the benefit of the doubt, and indeed she was quite good here. Also liked seeing him bring Ralph Ineson back for a significant role -- I'm not sure any actor that he has cast has ever fit his period aesthetic approach better, not even Anya.

[hypnotoad]

I saw it today and really liked it. Tons o dread, it is beautiful and very well acted.

[Is Everyone Gone]

I really want to see this. Have been a huge Nicholas Hoult fan since The Great. 

[peridot]

I enjoyed this.  I was surprised at how Depp went all in with the physicality. 

The lighting was great, it really amped up the tension in some scenes.  I wasn't expecting for Orlok to look like that.  When they showed him clearly, I was grossed out.

I just felt sad for everyone throughout the movie. 

[Steph J]

Saw it today and was enthralled for much of it - the atmosphere in this movie is so thick you could get high off of it. Loved the section in the village outside Orlok's castle and then the section in the castle itself.

When I was walking out of the theater I recalled that 24 years ago Willem Dafoe played Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire, so him playing the Van Helsing stand in here is a nice full circle moment.

[voiceover]

18 hours ago, Steph J said:

Willem Dafoe played Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire

*Such a great idea for a film (Max was the German actor cast as the title character in the original 1922 Nosferatu — issues with Bram Stoker’s estate meant the filmmakers couldn’t name him Dracula).

John Malkovich played FW Murnau, the director of the film, who discovers that Schreck is actually a vampire.  Max agrees to be in the film if Murnau lets him dine on the cast and crew.  Murnau consents.  So, during the production, Max picks off the company one by one, and an “Anything for art” Murnau looks the other way.

Should’ve been an hour Twilight Zone ep, as the de facto hero dies about that far into the story, so the rest is…eh.

But still:  I adore that premise.

[tennisgurl]

I really liked this, very eerie and full of quiet creeping horror. There were some very haunting shots, you can tell how much Eggers loves the original movie. I thought that the whole cast was great, I always love Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp did a great job, and this could not have been an easy role. 

I'm emotionally exhausted, I felt really bad for everyone. What a tragedy. 

[Is Everyone Gone]

I saw this tonight. Thought it was a gorgeously shot movie, with such an atmospheric look and feel. Thought the acting was top-notch. Loved Lily Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult. The movie doesn't attempt anything groundbreaking or new, but it is well-crafted and I was never bored.

[Chyromaniac]

Overall this was really well made, and maybe the best version of Dracula I've seen.  Everything about it - particularly the performances and art design - really suck you in, forgive the pun.

I will say, it was amusing to me that Wisborg is somehow the most English town in all of "Germany, 1834."  For about five minutes I thought, okay - maybe it's suggesting that the Hutters are British expats, and that's maybe part of why they're so hard up for money.  But nope - nearly everyone else in town (Vielen Dank, Prof. Von Franz!) is just as English as they are.  The wildest was the Cockney maid with one line, who shows up towards the end - like, 'ow did you get 'ere, mum?  I assume it was just the typical thing where any period film defaults to British, or maybe they thought German accents would sound silly - either way, it was kind of nice to have something a bit goofy in an experience that was otherwise (appropriately) quite dreary.