Nosferatu

I had the highest expectations for Nosferatu, and it's pretty obvious why. I love horror films, I study them, explore them and prioritise them. I think Robert Eggers has a knack for the genre, and this is proven in The Witch, The Northman and to some extent The Lighthouse (which others seem to like a little more than I do). The point is that all the stars have aligned here; Robert Eggers' gothic, dramatic style, his demonstrably advanced understanding of the genre, and the most legendary horror story ever - Nosferatu.

Well, it doesn't get any better than that, and after a striking trailer that oozes typical Eggers energy and pretty solid reviews from members of the press who have seen the film at various film festivals, as I said, I sat down in the darkness of the cinema with the highest of expectations.

So imagine my surprise when, two hours later, I left that same darkness a little disappointed. I'm not going to spend column space arguing that the film is outright bad, far from it, but I am going to contextualise that disappointment a little, and explain why I don't feel that the actual effect of the film quite lives up to the expectations created by the paratextual circumstances.

Nosferatu retells the story of Thomas and Ellen Hutter, played by Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp, who have just got married, but their honeymoon is interrupted by a necessary journey for Thomas, who is required by his new job to travel to Transylvania to meet with client Count Orlokk (played by an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgaard), who wants personal service as he wants to buy a large estate in Hutter's hometown, Wisburg, Germany in 1838. As those of you who know the story already know, Count Orlokk is Nosferatu himself, and he has fallen in love with Ellen Hutter, and suddenly everything Thomas loves is in terrible danger. 'He is coming', say those who sense that something evil is coming.

First of all, many of the key aspects of the film are more than rock solid. Lily-Rose Depp delivers a magnificent performance as Ellen, to say the least, and her presence is both infinitely physical and fantastically present. If you had any doubts after seeing her disappoint in The Idol from the creator of Euphoria, think again - she has range and she is brilliant. She's flanked by solid performances from Hoult and Willem Dafoe, and although Aaron Taylor-Johnson fluctuates more in his effectiveness, overall the film is well acted.

There's nothing wrong with Skarsgaard's performance, but here we really hit a central nerve that is one of the film's major disappointments. You see, Eggers struggles to create suspense. The entire first act is one big suspense exercise that prepares the audience for the overriding evil emanating from Orlokk's castle, and while Eggers chooses a suitably rattling depth to Skarsgaard's voice, his actual appearance simply isn't terrifying enough to keep him creepy for very long. This interpretation is pretty close to the source material, and the experienced among you will know that Orlokk is actually exposed quite a lot as a character throughout the second half. While this is good for his character, it only serves to further deflate the creepy balloon, and while the film also focuses on sexuality, superstition and a number of other serious topics, it's still as if Eggers thinks we're hiding behind the cinema seat as Orlokk makes his entrance in a given scene, but through overexposure and a character that isn't nearly as scary as hoped, he's just not this all-consuming presence the film positions him to be.

They say "don't show us the monster," but you can actually do that. It's all about keeping mystery, anticipation and fear at the centre, and as the plot itself takes over from the suspense so effectively established in the first half, Nosferatu even starts to get a little... long?

That said, every single scene is constructed with technical ingenuity that you simply don't see every day or year. Eggers draws on the same gothic horror tools that worked so well in The Witch, and the lighting, contrasts and camerawork are all executed with commendable precision. It's a master at work, and Eggers has the eye, but also clearly knows how to surround himself with talent that understands his vision.

Nosferatu is a memorable, well-executed addition to his now impressive catalogue, and he remains one of the directors to watch, especially if you like the horror genre, but also if you don't. Nosferatu is a good film, but doesn't manage to cash the huge cheque that is issued, combining so much potential in both the story itself, the accompanying iconography and the talent both in front and behind the camera. I do wish that Orlokk had been used more sparingly, even if it was at the expense of faithfulness to the source material, and that more work had been done on his character and face. However, this is not a film you'll regret watching, that's for sure.

"He is coming".