Tragic masterpiece. Those are the only two words that come to mind when describing this movie. Robert Eggers has truly outdone himself with this latest work of art. The movie did the one thing that I needed and hoped it would do, which was to make me feel uncomfortable yet not be able to take my eyes off of it. There were countless times when I started tearing up or audibly gasped because of the levels of depravity being shown. Eggers is a master at injecting true despair and dread into his movies (namely The VVitch and The Lighthouse) but with the added layer of gothic horror, Nosferatu serves as a reminder that Eggers is a director that everyone’s eyes need to be on.
Easily the best part of the movie is Bill Skarsgård’s performance as Count Orlok. Never before have I been as enchanted with a performance as I have with his performance. With every scene involving Orlok I felt myself go into a trance. His booming and accented voice mixed with his grotesque appearance creates an allure that will grab your attention and never let go. Bill Skarsgård is such a brilliant monster actor as when he’s not limited by the actions of man, he’s able to bring out something within himself that is horrifying yet breathtaking. I won’t describe his appearance as that is something that needs to be experienced in a theatre but Nosferatu’s Count Orlok is a beautiful depiction of what a vampire should be. A grotesque abomination mixed with desirability and seductiveness.
Another standout performance in this film is Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter. What she brings to the role is nothing short of master class acting however where she truly shines is in her body acting. There are countless scenes where Ellen’s face & body is convulsing and contorting and it’s done in a way that’s truly terrifying and makes you feel uncomfortable. Depp embodies a melancholic dread throughout her performance which is a beautiful companion to the dreary and cold atmosphere the movie sets. 2024 has been an amazing year for women in horror and Depp solidifies her role at the top. Everything about her performance is so well crafted and so well acted that it makes me excited to see what her career will be like in the near future.
Another standout in this movie are the sets and atmosphere. Eggers has always shown an exhausting amount of detail when crafting his worlds with Nosferatu being no different. From Orloks castle to the plague-ridden streets of 1800’s Germany, the movie will intoxicate you with true gothic misery. The movie has a thick sense of uneasy and terror throughout the entire movie, almost as if the film is cursed and you’re not supposed to be watching it. There are multiple scenes involving Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult) and Count Orlok (played by Bill Skarsgård’s) that made me audibly whisper “oh my god”. Nicholas’ brilliant performance brings out a palpable fear that it infects the atmosphere in the movie and makes you also start to feel it and wish the scene was over yet never wanting it to end.
The last 30 minutes of this movie is nothing short of brilliant as I have never felt true disgust and despair in a movie before this. A haunting realization of themes topped off with a final shot that is haunting, cold, and a feeling that fills you with an overbearing sadness. I cannot stress enough how much of a masterpiece this film is. It’s a haunting, uncomfortable, psychosexual, and beautiful tale that will leave you begging for more. This is a must see for all horror fans. Nosferatu is now playing in theatres.
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