MOVIE REVIEW: NOSFERATU

 

In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter's new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that's far beyond her control.

Director: Robert Eggers

Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe

Release Date: December 25, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for bloody violent content, graphic nudity and some sexual content.

Runtime: 2h 12m

Review:

Robert Eggers' remake of 1922's Nosferatu doesn't add much to the general story but it's a visual marvel of the macabre that delivers a wonderfully opulent series of gothic imaginary that's sure to leave an impression.  Eggers's talents are perfectly suited for the subject matter and every shot reflects his deep affect and love of the material.  He manages to create an impressive sense of dread and foreboding even though the story doesn't offer up much in the way of surprises.  He and his cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke, meticulously frame shots with an incredible level of care which results in a steady stream of memorable shots with the blue toned monochromatic night shots being particularly effective.  The film moves at Eggers' usual pace but a series of well-placed shocks pepper the film with those moments injecting the screen with chaotic energy.  Lily-Rose Depp delivers stellar work in some of these moments with a physical performance that's filled with wild fits of manic gyrations that echo moments from The Exorcist more than anything else.  She maintains a detached, almost trance-like stare during the film's quieter portions with exasperated moments of lucidity allowing her to display a full range of emotions.  Depp's turn is fascinating from start to finish but it’s one of those aspects that you'd wish Eggers had expanded on since there's plenty of fertile ground to explore outside of the repressed sexuality of the original.  The supporting cast is made up on a solid group of performers but similarly the script doesn't ask a lot of them outside of looking terrified, like Hoult, while he's being cuckold or borderline crazed like Willem Dafoe which is about par for the course for him.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson looks the part but some of his lines come off as unintentionally comical partly due to his handle bar mustache.  Emma Corrin is wasted for the most part as she's given very little to do outside of stand around and ask how Depp's Ella is doing and reassure her she's not a burden.  Bill Skarsgård is tasked with portraying Count Orlok which he does with a heavy Eastern European accent in between wheezes.  His portrayal paired with the creature's makeup makes for a far more decrepit depiction of the monster with any sense of suave sexuality from other integrations stripped away to something more primal.  The character's full features are slowly revealed throughout before being shown in its full glory in the final act as we get the full scope of his massive, rotting corpse.  In the end, Nosferatu may prove to be one of Robert Eggers more accessible film for those looking for high end frights and fitting tribute to one of the original horror films.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: VOYAGERS

 

Set in the near future, the film chronicles the odyssey of 30 young men and women who are sent deep into space on a multi-generational mission in search of a new home. The mission descends into madness, as the crew reverts to its most primal state, not knowing if the real threat they face is what's outside the ship or who they're becoming inside it.

Director: Neil Burger

Cast: Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Archie Renaux, Archie Madekwe, Quintessa Swindel

Release Date: April 9, 2021

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence, some strong sexuality, bloody images, a sexual assault and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Voyagers is a glossy looking film that uses a variety of cinematic inspirations to deliver a paint by the numbers plot with no surprises or innovations.  Neil Burger film, doused in electric blue, has plenty of promise with an interesting set up.  Burger moves his film at a steady pace from the start as we are introduced to Colin Farrell's protector figure and a quick expositional opening which lays out the groundwork for the premise.  Farrell is there simply to set off the plot which leads to him having rather limited screen time.  Once the film gets rolling, plenty of intriguing themes and mysteries are set up but none of them really payoff in a meaningful or thought-provoking way.   Burger, who also wrote the script, doesn't seem interested or capable of delving deeper into any of the fertile thematic elements presented from male aggression, gaslighting, social structures amongst others.  As a result, you are left feeling there is a better story and film in there somewhere had it been handled by somebody else.  What we are left with is a fairly straight forward Lord of the Flies riff that hits nearly all the same beats as the classic book.  The cast is populated by a fairly diverse group of upcoming actors and actresses but Burger manages to use his POC in the worse possible way. Tye Sheridan, whose face is set to forever pout, leads the film along with Lily-Rose Depp with Fionn Whitehead playing the primary villain.  Sheridan & Depp are both rather bland and emotionally distant since neither has the type of screen presence to carry a film.  Whitehead has manic flashes here and there but it's never sustained so the conflict never hits the way it should.  Instead, it all feels perfunctory with a climax that feels like it's ripped from Alien. 

C