Nosferatu: A Macabre Masterpiece
Film
Steeped in darkness, visually and thematically, Robert Eggers' reimagining of the classic Nosferatu is a stunning display of seductive, visceral evil as if it were dug up from the hellish soil Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) slumbers on. Following the traditional story of F. W. Murnau's 1922 silent film, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Eggers opts to shift the perspective from that of Thomas Hutter's (Nicholas Hoult) to his wife's, Ellen Hutter (Lily Rose-Depp). The result is a monumentally richer experience, thriving on mankind's carnal cravings, a deep-seated fear of them, and a more potent fear of how much one can enjoy surrendering to these desires. Eggers' balancing act of Ellen's sexuality and Orlok's horrific omnipotency strikes the perfect chord, creating a terrifying timbre that pays homage to the ancient roots of Nosferatu yet builds a new modern legacy for which monster movies can yearn to attain.
In Murnau's seminal 1922 film, the story starts with and follows Thomas' adventure to Orlok's home region in the Carpathian Mountains, to sell him a new estate in Thomas' home village of Wisborg. While Eggers' adaptation contains this same storyline, he slides the focus from Thomas to his Ellen, who awakens Orlok in her young adulthood. Calling out to the spirits of the night, Ellen beckons for anyone and anything to save her from her desperate loneliness. Orlok answers her call, appearing as a ghostly apparition—a mere shadow on Ellen's blowing curtains. This moment is beautifully captured by Jarin Blaschke's cinematography, which masterfully combines low-light settings and encroaching darkness. These visuals emphasize Ellen's isolation and subtly suggest her fateful, intimate connection with Orlok.
Layering Orlok's existence with a combination of pure unhinged evil and sexual shame gives Eggers' Nosferatu a stunning depth that its predecessors never reached. Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula merely scratched the surface, giving Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) outrageous rizz-"I have crossed oceans of time to find you" is in fact, a bar-meanwhile Eggers' Count Orlok is a physical manifestation of Ellen's sexual desires. From the very first moment Ellen and Orlok's souls become inextricably tied, there is a prominent seductive nature to Orlok's interactions with Ellen which are communicated effortlessly through Lily Rose-Depp's monumental performance. Eggers has often sought physically demanding performances to convey his deeper messaging through non-verbal means, giving his films a more nuanced feel, often referred to as elevated horror by cinephiles and film bros alike. Performances such as Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson's in Eggers' sophomore film The Lighthouse and even Anya Taylor-Joy's role in The Witch had a subdued demanding feel to it, allowing Eggers to focus on the construction of the mystique, which works to extraordinary measures in Nosferatu. I also have to mention Alexander Skarsgård's role in The Northman, even if it isn't a horror film it might be one of Eggers' most physically demanding roles.
Not only is Rose-Depp a standout for her transformative work, but Nicholas Hoult's ability to convey the terror of Orlok lays the groundwork for the rest of Nosferatu to succeed. Hoult’s sweat-drenched body language and expressive terror amplify Orlok's malevolence, making the ancient vampire’s journey to Wisborg feel ominously inevitable. Eggers masterfully builds this sense of impending doom, perfectly complemented by Blaschke's claustrophobic, pitch-black cinematography.
When Nosferatu finally erupts into chaos and death, all of the pieces come together in a symphony of horror that supplants the classic monster movie tropes and establishes a new blueprint. Skarsgård as Orlok sees himself disappear in yet another transformative role and become one with the ancient aristocrat monster. The makeup and prosthetics are incredibly well-done for Orlok, Wisborg, and its inhabitants are immersive through fantastic set and costume design, and I'd be remiss not to mention Robin Carolan haunting gothic score that finds the perfect terrifying pitch for Eggers' vision. I've long been enamored by Robert Eggers' films, from his pacing to his dedication of language to the wildly unique experience each one provides, I've felt as though he's quickly become a monumental force in the horror genre. His reimagining of Nosferatu is yet another step in the right direction as he's found a way to turn a beloved horror classic, a staple of world cinema, into a modern, macabre masterpiece.
Froth
There's little for me to gripe about with Eggers' Nosferatu because just about all of it works. His meticulous attention to detail, the new version of the story and of course more Willem Dafoe, I mean, what's not to like? Sure there are moments that might be too dark visually speaking, but the vibes are immaculate nonetheless. Quite literally, every aspect of this film is fire. Thus, I turn to my most recently discovered brewery and one of my new favorites, Floodland Brewing's Everything is Fire.
I dare not fit into the stereotype of people wanting to describe this beer on the internet as so eloquently put on Floodland's Bottle Log, but this beer is simply, wow. Balanced perfectly between its dry, sweet, and bitter components it really is one of the finer beers I've had. Easy to drink and refreshing, yet with a complexity that keeps you coming back for more, there's a dynamic depth to Everything is Fire that simply can't be replicated. It's a shame that there's an extremely likely chance I won't ever get to try this beer again, given Floodland's brewing model, but that just helps me have more appreciation for the ephemeral. Those fleeting moments where you can't help but take stock in what's happening in the present, and truly appreciate a mastery of craft when it hits you in the face. I experience these moments with Floodland Brewing beers, and I most certainly experienced it seeing Robert Eggers' Nosferatu for the first time. A sense of nirvana that only some damn fine craftsmanship can bring about.
