Nosferatu is a modern retelling of the 1922 classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror and is Robert Eggers’ love letter to the original. Egger has an eye for detail, not a Starbucks cup in sight as the audience is transported to the brutality of the 1830’s Europe. Corset’s, finery, speech, environment, setting and questionable sciences there isn’t a cobblestone askew. The play on lighting and colour is artful helping build and cut tension, often losing all colour as a nod to its predecessor. This gothic tale is one of my front runners for film of the year. If I could sum this film up in two words, it would be “hauntingly beautiful”. It tackles darkness that most films released this year seem to shy away from—underlying themes of fear of the “other” and stigma around mental illnesses.
The star-studded cast left me in awe with their performance. Bill Skarsgård does what he does best and plays another character that is pure nightmare fuel, Count Orlok. His physicality in this role is a haggard ancient spectre with rolling, phlegm-filled, strained speech with an authoritative tone. Skarsgård familiarity with practical special effects makeup must have reached a whole new level with this full body transformation that left him unrecognisable without the credit.
Lily-Rose Depp, as our protagonist, Ellen Hutter, left me astounded. Her ability to play someone so haunted and dainty to evolve into a brave and strong hero. Her wardrobe, matching Ellen’s character development, starts with a motif of baby blues shifting to a mourning black; it will likely be on your local goth’s vision board. It was my first exposure to Lily-Rose Depp, and I look forward to her next appearance.
Nichols Hoult plays Thomas Hutter, loving husband of Ellen, a realtor looking to secure his newly-wed dream life. Hoult’s performance is perfection; he leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout his storyline.
The star-studded cast doesn’t end there Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Ineson, Emma Corrin and the legendary Willem Dafoe. All add to this piece, bringing what has been stale and overly theatrical characters into the modern era.
OUR RATING:
5/5
