Gotic, fascinating and visually seductive. And unfortunately also too calligraphic, quotative. Aesthetically beautiful, but soulless. Nosferatu by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman) is an operation that seems to want to create the definitive horror film focused on the iconography of the Vampire. There’s a bit of everything, from the shadow of the monster that stands out along the stairs (like in the film by Murnau of 1922), to mice and the plague-ridden city (as in Werner Herzog film of 1979). From the romantic and decadent suggestions of Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola from 1992 to the redundant vampire-sexual allegory, with which the saga of Twilight he built his business fortunes.
From the first images, Eggers transports the audience into a meticulously constructed gothic universe. Each frame is a painting, thanks to Jarin Blaschke’s photography, which uses a stark contrast between light and shadow to evoke the expressionist aesthetic of the original.
The choice of locations, ranging from misty castles of Eastern Europe to coastal villages rich in historical detailis particularly apt. The dark and oppressive atmosphere is not only an homage to silent cinema, but a magnifying glass through which Eggers seeks to explore the timeless themes of fear and obsession. Nonetheless, the director’s gaze never manages to adopt an original and authorial point of view. The approach is formalist, even obsequious towards its predecessors, but it lacks an autonomous identity. Nosferatu by Eggers is incapable of updating and innovating the content density of the vampire tale.
Nosferatuthe plot of the horror film
Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is a young lawyer which, in the Germany of 1838, comes sent by his boss Friedrich (Aaron Taylor Johnson), to the mountains of Transylvania, in the Carpathians, to finalize the sale of a property to the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard). His young wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) doesn’t want to, but Thomas sees the trip as an opportunity to build a future for his new family. Ellen, hosted by Fredrich and his wife Anna (Emma Corrin), begins to seeing the creature (Nosferatu) in his dreams and nightmares.
Lily-Rose Depp in a scene from the film. (Universal)
While staying in Orlok’s castle, Hutter discovers the fang mark on his chest and realizes that the Count is actually a vampire. Meanwhile, in Wisborg, his wife begins to exhibit strange behavior, linked to Orlok’s evil influence. The Count moves to Wisborg, bringing with him a plague that decimates the population. Ellen, understanding the nature of the vampire, seems determined to sacrifice herself to put an end to his rule.
The review ofNosferatu
Eggers has maintained a strong connection with German expressionist cinema, with the use of angular shots, strong light and shadow, and settings that seem suspended in time. His mastery of chiaroscuro paints every sequence. Unfortunately, as had also happened with the previous one The Northman (which in turn proclaimed the objective of being the definitive fantasy about Valhalla), Eggers’ Nosferatu seems prisoner of a standard: it is the horror that the viewer of a streaming platform expects to see.
The film is a format that includes an algorithmic succession of stereotypes, of scenes that – beyond their formal and superficial beauty – do not surprise, do not displace and, despite their brutality, do not impress. The style is there, but the mortal sin is the absence of viscerality. We must therefore be satisfied with the details: Nosferatu’s sloping moustaches, the costumes, the flower-patterned wallpapers, the cemeteries. You can appreciate the performances of the entire cast. But the genius and the disease of The Witch And The LighthouseUnfortunately, they have disappeared.
Willem Defoe. (Universal)
The cast of Nosferatu: Lily-Rose Depp, on the test of maturity
One of the (few) merits of the film is Lily-Rose Depp’s performance. Very, very good. A little Christina Ricci and a little Isabelle Adjani. Disturbing and tormented. Indecipherable and possessed. She masterfully expresses the female otherness that cannot be understood. From now on, she will no longer be just the daughter of Johnny and Vanessa Paradis. At 25, we finally have a real actress.
Nicholas Hoult, riding the crest of a wave
Obviously it’s his time. The former child prodigy of About a Boyand then cursed teenager of Skinsis experiencing its moment of glory. Much appreciated in Juror number 2 by Clint Eastwood, Nicholas Hoult also proves convincing in the role of the unfortunate lawyer Hutter.
We will also see it in Superman by James Gunn, in the role of the villain Lex Luthor. Bill Skarsgard’s performance is also worth highlighting. After being Pennywise in It And En – Chapter Two and the protagonist in the very recent remake of The raven, the 34-year-old Swedish actor, son of the great Stellan, proves to be perfectly at ease under the terrifying make-up of the Vampire.
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