It’s high time to admit it. The debate over whether or not “Die hard » is a Christmas movie is universally sold out. This is obviously the case. Let him die (hard). However, we now have a new subject for debate. My new favorite Christmas movie: That of Robert Eggers “Nosferatu.”
Listen, it came out on Christmas Day, I saw it in a crowded theater on Christmas Day and there’s, I think, just one scene with a Christmas tree. Christmas movie. It helps that “Nosferatu” is a fantastic film beyond simple seasonal spirit.
I don’t mean I expected to like “Nosferatu” in itself, but it makes sense that I do. I like ““Dracula” and its adaptations, the original from 1922″Nosferatu“, the 1979 “Nosferatu”, in my opinion superior to vampire stories and gothic horror in general. I love “Robert Eggers”The Witch, » and I like Willem Dafoe.
That said, I usually try to go into new films with low expectations, so I was a little hesitant about this one, given my high hopes. These fears have fortunately been allayed. The movie is brilliant, brimming with Eggers’ usual attention to detail and presenting a fantastic retelling of the famous story.
For the uninitiated, the concept of Nosferatu began with FW Murnau’s 1922 German silent film, “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.” This film was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker 1897 novel “Dracula” (yes, the “Dracula”). Despite Drac’s scam and encouraging Stoker’s widow continue “Nosferatu” became extremely popular and cinematically influential.
In 1979, director Werner Herzog remade the film as “Nosferatu the Vampire.” This one remains my favorite of the three films, but only because I love all three of them so much.
Now that we’ve caught up, we can talk about the nuts and bolts of Eggers’ version. “Nosferatu” from 2024 is above all a remake of the two aforementioned films. This puts the film in a box of sorts, as Eggers can’t stray too far from the others. films without appearing unfaithful. However, it also can’t stay too similar to previous films without seeming redundant. Eggers straddles this line perfectly.
“Nosferatu” is not my favorite “Dracula” adaptation, and it’s also not technically the most impressive film based on it (although it comes close), but it’s certainly the most effective film I’ve ever seen at capturing the tone and atmosphere of “Dracula”. The film is an effective horror film, certainly, but it is also a dark tragedy. That’s what makes it so special to me. While others adaptations tend to lean toward horror or camp, Eggers’ latest work builds on the heartbreak at the heart of the original novel.
God forbid I write this review without talking about it Count Orlok. After years of relegation cereal boxes And “Scooby-Doo” gags, this movie makes counting many names scary again. Bill Skarsgard plays him to perfection, completely disappearing into the role like no other Count actor has. The way Orlok’s voice is mixed into the film’s soundtrack is simply amazing.