Beautiful is not a word that I enjoy using for a film with such a muted color pallet. However, for Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, after viewing it in it's entirety, it is the only word that comes to mind.
Eggers has constructed this film meticulously, with a precision seen in very few directors these days. Heck, more so than any previous effort he's put to screen. You can tell he enjoys working with a bigger budget and he know what to do with it as well. Lavish, gothic set design and costumes across the board. Wonderful special FX, both CG and practical makeup. The cinematography was insane. Sweeping camera shots and uncomfortable closeups, all framed in a 35mm letterbox format. It was a spectacle worth the wait, especially on the IMAX screen I saw it on.
The acting was phenomenonal. Lily Rose-Depp should win awards for her all out performance. Both horrific and touching all at the same time. Willem Dafoe provided some much needed spice for the second half. Without his character, the film would've slipped a star as the story starts getting a little long winded towards the end. My only gripe with the cast was Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok. I felt he could've played into the character's sensitivity a bit more. He was cold hearted, yes, but he did still have love in his heart.
The story, adapted from both Dracula and Nosferatu... but mostly Nosferatu, was very well written. With dialog that felt natural and authentic to the time period, another one of Eggers specialty, the film flowed rather nicely and almost transports you to that time and place. Impressively, when the film does eventually start gettint bogged down a bit, Eggers makes sure to pick things right back up again to never keep the audience bored, and with a film like this that could've happened easily.
Overall, a pretty great adaptation of a classic story. Equal parts horror and mystery, and a bittersweet ending that almost made me cry. I loved it, and a nice addition to Robert Eggers' growing filmography.
4 coffins out of 5.
