Stays Below Murnau’s Masterpiece But Haunting Enough

RATING – ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5*

Nosferatu Review Movie Talkies:  

F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) was a horror masterpiece, well ahead of its time and perhaps the third-ever horror sensation in world cinema after “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920) and “The Golem” (1920). In the same year, there was a horror mythological masterpiece called “Häxan” (1922). Murnau created many classics, but Nosferatu was a new genre for him, and for audiences as well. It paved the way for masters like James Whale and Mario Bava. This haunting tale of the blood-sucking count has been adapted in the cinematic world many times, but none have been able to match Murnau’s work, whether in Hollywood, British cinema or any foreign language cinema. If someone wants to remake a film after 102 years, there’s no need to describe the legacy, but I would still say that every reviewer and movie lover should watch Murnau’s masterwork of this story before seeing this remake to understand where Eggers went wrong.  

Also read:Universal Pictures India's Nosferatu is a WASHOUT

Nosferatu Review Story:

Set in the 1830s, the film follows the story of a newly married couple, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp). Thomas is sent to a client in the Alps and is welcomed by Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) at his haunting mansion. Orlok is a vampire who drains Thomas’s blood and possesses his body and soul. He then learns about his wife Ellen and haunts her soul as well. The Count gives her a three-night ultimatum to submit to his demands and become his bride, while Thomas, with the help of Professor Albin (Willem Dafoe), must find a way to stop him. Who will win in the end?  

Robert Eggers adapts the main story and its essence to lead us toward a modern retelling of Dracula’s mystical world. For instance, in this movie, the bite marks are on the chest instead of the neck. That’s a rather childish change, I believe. Additionally, I really missed Orlok’s thirsty reaction of “lovely neck” when he sees a photo of Ellen. We already have a strange connection between Ellen and Orlok, as she has been dreaming and is responsible for bringing this deadly evil to their realm. In the 1922 film, the climax sees the Count vanishing into smoke as soon as he sees the sun’s rays, but here things are a bit vulgar, as the evil simply dies with one scream in bed. Those two sexual activities seemed unnecessary, but the writer-director was allowed to show them since he wasn’t bound to any movie codes like the silent and black-and-white era directors. This film also lacks the expressionism the German masterpiece has.

In one scene, Ellen is possessed and seduces Thomas to enjoy a sexual encounter aimed at making Orlok jealous. I mean, seriously? Eggers really undermined the main essence of this haunting story with such scenes that are totally unwanted and unnecessary. On the positive side, the film boasts plenty of horror elements to shock, stun, and scare you. The graphics are really good, and the technical support is excellent. The sound design and editing work very well together to keep you glued to your seat. However, I believe there was no need to stretch that 90-minute story to 130 minutes. A couple of cast members are miscast, and their characters are not well justified.

The best thing about the Nosferatu cast has to be Bill Skarsgård. His look, voice, characterization, and persona—all are simply outstanding. He stands out among the entire cast, and how! No one is even close to him. Nicholas Hoult has also performed well in his role, as the character undergoes a better development process than in the silent flick, though with a few overly dramatic moments. Lily-Rose Depp surprised me with her act, but it wasn’t as great as the potential it truly had. Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich and Willem Dafoe as Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz are the miscasts and unjustified characters I mentioned earlier. Emma Corrin and Ralph Ineson could not make their presence felt, while Simon McBurney was unexpectedly fabulous. Director Robert Eggers is only three movies old, so it would be unfair to expect anything on the level of Murnau’s work from him, but he has done a pretty good job. It’s just that FW Murnau’s film has stood the test of time and is more than enough to overshadow this remake even after 102 years. We have seen at least a dozen adaptations of this Dracula/vampire story, which is why this film feels a bit underwhelming. Still, it’s a decent to good watch for fans of the original and much better for newcomers who lack in-depth movie knowledge.