Nosferatu Review: A terrifying gothic tale and the most beautiful film of the year

After The witch, The lighthouse etc Northmanthe talented director Robert Eggers has put his unusual touch on the remake of the more than a century old horror classic. Nosferatu the vampire Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.

As always, the American filmmaker presents us with a radical, visually stunning and terrifyingly captivating proposition. Here’s the movie review, spoiler-free guaranteed.

The story of the film

In 1838 Germany, the obsession between a haunted young woman, Ellen Hutter, and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, Count Orlok, will lead to unspeakable horror.

Our review

Released in 1922. Nosferatu FW Murnau is one of the first masterpieces of German cinema and expressionism (eg Metropolis one you The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). This unauthorized adaptation of the novel Dracula By Bram Stoker (the production will also be caught by the patrol) also knew how to create famous images, still vivid in the collective imagination.

Robert Eggers, crowned with fame as a filmmaker with a dark and aesthetically daring universe, has now taken up the monument to offer a new interpretation that is both modern and respectful of the original work. A remake of Mad Beauty, which stands as a great cinematographic slapstick in late 2024.

Connoisseurs of the famous vampire won’t be lost with this new adaptation, as Nosferatu is faithful to the original story by Eggers. Thus we find young Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Holt) sent to Transylvania by his employer to strike a deal with the mysterious Count Orlok. He leaves his wife Ellen in Germany, but seems to be under Orlok’s strange influence.

A simple narrative tool in Murnau’s film, Allen’s character finds himself at the center of the plot and its themes here: social imprisonment, repressed desire, man’s hidden animality… By slightly modifying the perspective, Eggers’ version Shows all her virtues and relevance, giving Lily-Rose Depp a golden score in the process. The Franco-American actress, poised and surprising, finds here the greatest role of her (brief) career.

Far from simply adapting a century-old tale, Eggers transcends its original material in both substance and form. The film handles its references carefully, invoking the aesthetics of silent cinema, German Expressionism and the work of Murnau. Fast is Dawn) through many dizzying visual flashes.

From a giant black hand casting its shadow over the entire town to Thomas lost in a dark and snowy forest, through the sarcastic and nightmarish apparitions of the creature and the chaotic image reminiscent of the original black and white, Nosferatu This is one of the most beautiful movies of 2024.

You can guess from these words. Nosferatu There is only a visual suggestion, separate from consideration for its spectators. It is not so. where The lighthouse It may seem grand, Nosferatu Lives up to its role as a terrifying and effective horror film, which will make you jump in your seat more than once.

The feature film is actually the expected horror story. Thus he handles his influences with care and spreads his myths and his horror folklore intelligently. Above all, the terror surrounding Orlok is beautifully sustained and every look the character takes is chilling.

Nosferatu However, it is far from flawless. Because if Eggers’ proposition between visual homage, respect for mythology and modern re-reading works for the most part, the film unfortunately falters in its finale, where the tension built so well falls apart a bit. The last half hour, very programmatic and redundant, thus dampens our excitement a bit.

However, despite this final act and a narrative that deserves to be harsh, Nosferatu A resounding success and one of our ultimate favorites of the 2024 cinematic year will not be missed in theatres.

Nosferatu It will hit the theaters on December 25, 2024.

• Watch the movie trailer: