Nosferatu

I am a huge fan of Robert Eggers (I absolutely love The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman) so I have been eagerly anticipating Nosferatu ever since I heard about it!  I finally had a chance to see it at the Broadway with my nephew last night and, as predicted, I think it is a masterpiece!  Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) is a lonely and melancholy young girl who yearns for someone to love her when her thoughts are invaded by an evil creature.  Several years later she is now married to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a solicitor in Wisborg, Germany.  He is sent by his employer Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to visit the eccentric Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) in his remote castle in the Carpathian Mountains in order to finalize the purchase of an estate in Wisborg while she remains with their friends Anna and Friedrich Harding (Emma Corrin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively).  Count Orlok is revealed to be the creature from Ellen's dreams and, when he sees a locket that she gave to Hutter, he plans to claim her once again.  Hutter escapes but Orlok follows him so he must enlist the help of Abin Eberhart Van Franz (Willem Dafoe), a disgraced professor with an interest in the occult who recognizes the mythology of a demonic force known as Nosferatu, in order to save Ellen.  This is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name and is loosely based on Dracula by Bram Stoker.  I sometimes taught this novel so I really enjoyed finding both the similarities and the differences between the two narratives (the biggest difference is the use of the mythology surrounding vampires).  This version is incredibly atmospheric with tension that escalates very slowly so it is unsettling rather than scary (which disappointed some people in our audience).  The visuals are amazing (Eggers is known for his aesthetic and I love it), particularly the way that shots are framed and the use of light and shadow, and the sound design is so menacing (especially Orlok's voice).  I also loved the score because it really adds to the sense of dread.  The design for Count Orlok is very effective because it is unnerving more for what you don't see than for what you do (I was surprised by how little screen time Skarsgard actually has).  The tone is very bleak and some may be put off by that (particularly the ending) but I think it really works and matches the material very well.  Finally, I enjoyed all of the performances but I was especially impressed by Depp.  I was nervous when she was announced as a replacement for Anya Taylor-Joy but her physicality is brilliant and her portrayal of mental illness, particularly as she loses control, feels very authentic.  I had very high expectations and they were definitely met because, while it won't be for everyone, I found it spellbinding!