Rated R

The original NOSFERATU was made in Germany without permission of the Bram Stoker estate, but it remains one of the most iconic versions of Dracula. Using different names and locations, the 1922 film lives on, this time with Robert Eggers (director of THE VVITCH and THE LIGHTHOUSE) in charge.

The film follows Stoker’s book closely, featuring a vampire traveling across Europe to bring death to a German city. Eggers borrows some plague imagery and story notes from Werner Herzog’s 1979 adaptation, and he loads the film with dark surrealism.

Lily-Rose Depp is the focus of the film as the target of the Count’s desires. She has improved her acting considerably and gives it her all in the emotional performance, though the writing still remains frustratingly one dimensional.

As an atmospheric take on the Dracula legend, it works. Though at times I wonder if Eggers’ talents aren’t the best with smaller budgets.

NOSFERATU gets three vampire shadows out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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