So a few days ago I saw Nosferatu (2024) and I can safely say this movie doesn’t… Suck lol
So I think it’s safe to crown Robert Eggers as the current reigning king of the period pieces because that guy knows how to make something feel incredibly time accurate. The costumes, the sets, the way people speak, and even the lighting. It can feel like you’re looking into a time portal; it’s so on point.
Although I will say one nitpick I have about the lighting is that there are some scenes where the only source of light is a single candlestick, and while they are very moody, sometimes you can’t really make out somebody’s face. There was literally one scene where I’m squinting at the screen, trying to make someone out, and it was straining my eyes. So if you have sensitive eyes, be aware of that. I think it was a creative choice by the filmmakers, but it’s a good idea to give the audience a headache lol.
Somebody give the casting director of this movie a raise because the most impressive things about Nosferatu are the cast. We have a lot of big stars in here, like Nicholas Holt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney, and each one of them is acting their ass off, so enthralling and interesting to watch, and giving some of their career best performances.
That being said, there are two acting standouts, the first being Lily-Rose Depp. So her character throughout the movie is plagued with visions of death and horror and other monsters, so her character is always on the brink of an emotional breakdown or insanity. Even when she’s trying to put on a strong face, she is able to convey so much and do these big, crazy acting performances and contort her face that it is impressive just how much equality she is putting into her acting. Now the second one…
Hot Take: I think Bill Skarsgård gives one of the best vampire performances of all time… Like across movies, TV, video games, animation, and books, I think it could easily make the top 10. Which honestly feels a little weird to say because his performance reminded me of a mix of a Russian Czar, Ren from Ren and Stimpy, and the Leader from Hulk… but there’s something so otherworldly and out there about it (not to mention some creative filmmaking techniques that booster the performance) that I found him very captivating and entertaining to watch. Also
I don’t know if they modulated his voice afterwards, but he sounds nothing like he normally does; he could be a really successful voice actor if he wanted.
One more compliment I gotta give: Willem Dafoe plays the Van Helsing role, and I like how he rides the line between the classic version of the character, who is very fatherly and wise, and more modern interpretations that make him more kooky and in destroying vampires, it was kind of the best of both worlds.
Speaking of the filmmaking, I think this might be my favorite Robert Eggers movie. If you read my reviews, you know I like creative camera movements and choices, and Robert Eggers moves that camera like a trained ballroom dancer. Everything is so deliberate and practiced and on point that you can’t help being impressed and swept up in the spectacle of it all.
So mixed feelings here; there are some sequences where the scene just goes on and on quietly, and usually I get kind of bored and zone out on those scenes, but the way everything was put together was always enthralling, which is a big plus, so good for you. So when I think back about it, those scenes weren’t my favorite, but I can’t say I had a problem with them, so good for you, Robert, for pulling that off.
I liked the use of vampire lore in this movie; like a lot of flicks, it depicts vampires as creatures of the night or sexy British people, but this iteration of Count Orlock is more like an otherworldly force of nature or a plague who just wants to consume all life. There have been so many vampires in fiction that it can be hard to make them feel fresh and original, and Nosferatu pulls it off, so again, tip of the hat.
Now this is a very bleak movie; I’m not just talking about everything looking gray. As mentioned, there’s a lot of death and plague and darkness and just crazy imagery, and I’ve heard some other people say they felt the movie was just good bleak, that it was hard to get into the story because everything was just so depressing. Now I can sort of see their point of view. Yeah, the movie can get darker than wearing sunglasses at night, but this is a vampire Nosferatu movie, and I expected darkness going in. Plus, I would say there are interesting characters and creativity that, for me personally, I was able to find some levity in parts, but I understand if other people can’t.
There is some noticeable nudity in the film, like it’s never too explicit, and it’s not sexual for the most part; just be aware… You see Orlock dong. So take that as you will and just be prepared for... vampiric ding dong lol
The special effects on everything look great. I’m sure a lot of the shadow lighting helped, but even then some scenes were so convincing that I cannot see Bill Skarsgård's performance; he gets lost under that makeup.
I didn’t know where else to put this, but if you are a big fan of rats, like seeing rats in movies, well, this movie has got you covered. You see more mice than “Dress like Mickey Day” at Disney World lol.
So, in conclusion, I enjoy a fun spooky flick, and I found this to be very spooky, creative, a fresh retelling of both Nosferatu and the Dracula mythos, and entertaining. It can be a bit heavy at times, so while one or two details knock it off from being perfect, I do think Nosferatu (2024) has a good chance to enter my spooky rotation around Halloween time. I give it a low five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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