- NOSFERATU
- Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult
- Directed by: Robert Eggers
- Rating: R
- Running Time: 2 hrs 12 mins
- Focus Features
Our Score: 2 out of 5
Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Achievement in Costume Design, “Nosferatu”, the latest remake of the 1922 classic “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror”, is a vampire flick with more yawns than frights. It meets the eye test for plenty of horrific visuals punctuated by great period costumes. However, it is about as terrifying as watching an episode of the PBS series “This Old House”. The film’s pacing is a bit awkward and its cast, while obviously talented, does not do anything to leave an indelible impression.
Sometime during the 1810s, a young, disturbed girl named Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp, “The King”) cries out for a supernatural being to prevent her from being lonely, but it ends up awakening a supernatural creature who makes her pledge herself to him. Fast forward to 1838 when Ellen, who is plagued by nightmares, and her husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult, “Mad Max: Fury Road”) are living in the fictional town of Wisborg, Germany.
Desperate to make a better life for Ellen, Thomas takes on a commission offered by his eccentric employer that takes him to Transylvania where he meets Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard, “It”), a sinister recluse whom the locals fear. It is not long before Count Orlok sets sail to Wisborg and in the process kills the entire crew and unleashes the bubonic plague upon the city. Ellen tries to resist him, which results in Count Orlok threatening to kill Thomas and the entire town if she does not repledge herself to him. Aided by a Swiss scientist (Willem Dafoe) who is an expert in the occult, Thomas sets out to confront Count Orlok and save his wife.
To be blunt, if you want to watch a horror film that will scare you, then I would recommend “The Exorcist”, “The Blair Witch Project,” or even 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” starring Gary Oldham. While it looks creepy, “Nosferatu” is more window dressing than substance. Skarsgard is unrecognizable but his version of the character is somewhat boring, and the violence is gratuitous at best. Get some garlic and holy water and keep this vampire flick at bay.
“Nosferatu” receives ★★ out of five.