‘Nosferatu’: The much-needed revival of gothic horror

With students returning to campus, one question is looming in the backs of everyone’s minds: How did you spend your Christmas day? Many will say, “spending time with family” or “nothing really; It was a normal day.” However, if you’re like me, you flocked to the theaters to watch Robert Eggers’ newest film, “Nosferatu.”

This grotesquely-beautiful film had been greatly anticipated by horror and classic fans alike, and I cannot say it disappointed.

The film opens up on Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a young German girl who is implied to be in her early to late teens. While shadowed in darkness, she calls out to the world for a guardian angel to come to her, to be with her. Let’s just say someone answers her call, but that someone is certainly not an angel.

After this moment, we jump forward in time. Ellen has just gotten married to her husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), who is about to be sent off to Transylvania to sell some property to one Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Now, this can’t be good.

With this assignment, Ellen is sent to stay with her friends. However, her stay is not a happy one, as dreams and hallucinations shrouded in death haunt her unconscious mind. And with time, seizures begin to affect her as well.

While at Castle Orlok, Thomas discovers that the Count is actually a demonic being — a vampire, if you will — out to get Ellen, making him the “guardian angel” from the beginning.

As the film progresses, we see all the characters join together to rid the world of Nosferatu, who disguised himself as the Count, as he travels to their hometown in search of Ellen.

The film is so horrifying — it’s beautiful.

Along with Depp, Hoult and Skarsgård, the cast is stacked with talent, including Emma Corrin (“The Crown”), Willem Dafoe (“American Psycho”) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson – who I believe should be in all period pieces. Alongside the actors was director Robert Eggers.

In interviews discussing the film, Eggers describes his love for the story. In fact, it’s what cemented his love of directing! When the director was nine, he watched the 1922 silent film of the same name and fell in love. Eventually, Eggers decided to adapt the story into a stage play, which he was able to direct with a local theater group. He explained that if it weren’t for the original “Nosferatu,” he probably wouldn’t be where he is today.

While this classic story is thoughtfully brought to life on screen, we should not overlook how the cinematography made this movie ten times better. Throughout the filming process, Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke wanted to use as many practical effects as possible, elevating the film's look and feel. In many scenes, the only lighting the team wanted to use was candles or other sources of natural light. While this lighting made it hard to see at times, it made the scene more ominous — more real.

Throughout production, Eggers wanted to bring to life classic horror and gothic tropes that made the genre scary in the first place, and I believe he succeeded. The film is terrifying, disgusting even. In many scenes, we see Depp contorting her body in ways that are only natural if you are being possessed by a centuries-old creature. It is bone-chilling as you hear Skarsgård’s Orlok suck blood straight from our main characters’ hearts.

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There are so many instances in this movie that leave you feeling sick but, oddly enough, also in awe. It is so shocking to see these things portrayed on screen, but that’s the point. Gothic horror is startling, disgusting and uneasy. The characters do not portray how people “should” act in society. They do things without reason, and Orlok’s presence typically causes these actions.

Now, I am not usually a fan of horror. The disgusting parts — well, they make me feel disgusted, and that isn’t my cup of tea. However, I can recognize that Eggers and the cast put on an amazing performance and succeeded in making a classic gothic horror film, which cannot be said for many horror movies in the past couple of years.

All in all, the cast and crew did a fantastic job, and their hard work paid off.

Rating: 8/10

pedenae@miamioh.edu