A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Robert Eggers’ reimagining of the 1922 vampire classic comes to us through a fresh lens, though I approach this review without the historical weight of F.W. Murnau’s original—a silent film that, growing up in Ireland during the heyday of visceral horror in the ’70s and ’80s, never made it onto my watchlist.
The story transports us to 1838’s Wisborg, Germany, where we meet real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and his wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). When a peculiar business opportunity arises through Thomas’s boss, the mysterious Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), it sets in motion a chain of supernatural events. The assignment—to visit Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) in Transylvania regarding property acquisition—seems straightforward enough. Yet as Thomas departs, Ellen begins experiencing strange nighttime premonitions, each more vivid than the last.
The story takes a sinister turn at Orlok’s castle, where Thomas discovers mysterious wounds on his body each dawn. The horrifying truth emerges: his host is a vampire with an unhealthy fascination with Ellen. Thomas’s desperate race home, knowing the vampire will pursue his wife, creates mounting tension. Yet beneath Ellen’s apparent trepidation lies a complex ambivalence toward the vampire’s impending arrival.
Despite its technical brilliance and striking visuals, the film stumbles in developing Count Orlok’s character. Unlike Stoker’s charismatic Dracula, on which this story is loosely based, this vampire lord remains frustratingly opaque, his centuries of existence unexplored. Eggers opts for a more human-looking antagonist—a departure from the rat-like creature portrayed by Max Schreck (1922) and Klaus Kinski (1979)—presenting instead a deceased nobleman complete with distinctive facial hair and accent.
The cast delivers varying degrees of success in their roles. Skarsgård’s Orlok radiates single-minded intensity, while Depp skillfully portrays Ellen’s conflicted desires. Hoult adequately conveys Thomas’s growing terror, though Aaron Taylor-Johnson seems out of place as Friedrich Harding, Thomas’s best friend. Willem Dafoe adds weight to his portrayal of Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz.
Shot on film, this adaptation boasts impressive period authenticity and visual artistry. Yet beneath its polished surface, the narrative struggles to create deep character connections, often sacrificing emotional depth for aesthetic excellence. The decision to make Orlok more human-like, while bold, somewhat diminishes his frightening impact. Though not reaching the heights of Eggers’ earlier works “The Witch” or “The Northman,” this adaptation stands as a testament to his dedication to pushing creative boundaries in contemporary cinema.
In Theaters Wednesday, December 25th
3.4k
20k
1.5k
1.3k