Nosferatu

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When I first saw the trailer for this one, I got excited about it. When Universal Studios tried to follow up on the "Marvel Hype Train" with what they called the "Dark Universe" and released just one movie starring Tom Cruise, trying to be 'The Mummy,' it failed miserably. I always believed that while part of that was that it failed to be anything like the '99 movie, it also failed to be the classic. That's where they could have had something: bring in that story, taking place in that era and punch it up just a little to modernize it.

When I saw this trailer, I thought, "THIS is what 'The Mummy' should have done!" But this was also a valuable reminder that sometimes I'm not quite on the money with my ideas. 'Nosferatu' here is stylistically beautiful, holds the spirit of the original film, and, just like I wanted, is punched up to be a little more modernized. And while the movie was pretty good, I can't say that this is something for just anyone. This film is trying to be more of a work of art than just some half-assed reboot, which is admirable, but it's not a vampire movie I would ever dub "exciting."

We open in the 1830s as a girl named Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) pleads to unseen forces to ease her loneliness. This summons what will soon be unveiled as the film's namesake, the Nosferatu, which, according to this film, is a kind of plague-ridden vampire. He hypnotizes her and makes her pledge herself to him eternally. This is where you get one of my favourite visuals in the film, which can be seen in the trailer, of the vampire's shadow behind a floating curtain, but he's otherwise invisible.

Several years pass, and Ellen marries real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and now resides in Germany. One day, Thomas' boss commissions him to sell the eyesore of Grünewald Manor to a reclusive and eccentric individual named Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), which he accepts, as it will ensure financial security for his and his wife's future. As Thomas leaves for Transylvania, he leaves Ellen in the care of a trusted friend, Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and his family. Meanwhile, Ellen remains disturbed by nightmares of marrying Death.

Eventually, Thomas meets with Orlok at his dark and spooky castle; for my money, this is the most well-done scene in the film. When Thomas eventually gets underway toward Orlok's castle, he's met with supernatural elements, like an unmanned carriage which takes him to said castle. The castle is full of a creepy atmosphere, reminiscent of the classic film with its gothic style and a foreboding emptiness within its walls. Add to that Skarsgård's performance as a completely in-the-shadows Orlok with a deep, booming voice, and that's a recipe for a great horror atmosphere.

From here, the film takes off into an odd supernatural love triangle between Ellen, Orlok and Thomas, presenting Ellen's case for her love for her husband, Thomas' helplessness against Orlok's powers, and Orlok's influence on Ellen. It's a dark and gothic way to present concepts of love, jealousy, sacrifice and even control. They throw in some exorcism elements with Ellen here, and that's where Willem Dafoe comes into play as a character very loosely based on Van Helsing, Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz.

This one isn't recommended to any horror fan so much as I'd recommend it to those searching for something that may help them appreciate classic films more. While this is undoubtedly good, one can't remake the 1922 version and make it as good. The 1922 version is a staple of horror that no remake could outdo. One may have to take this movie with a grain of salt. However, I appreciated that they didn't go all out in trying to make this modern. It's still not what the Dark Universe went for, like this or hate this, failing miserably!

3/5

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