Did we need another Dracula movie? Especially one that mirrors the classic silent film by F. W. Murnau that starred Max Schreck? Writer/Director Robert Eggers is no stranger to making dark, scary and violent movies as dramatized in Lighthouse and The Witch. Here, Eggers doesn’t stray much from the original 1922 silent Gothic horror film taking on the oft dramatized symbol of horror of blood sucking vampires.
Eggers finds a way, once again, to terrify, shock, and disgust us, even throwing in thousands of live rats on set to simulate the start of a repulsive pandemic. That must’ve been fun for Cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke who shot the film in Prague. They went for an unsaturated, dim appearance, sometimes in sepia tone, to get that gothic horror aura. Add the haunting music by Robin Carolan and the foreboding ambiance is enhanced, especially in the more discomforting scenes.
In this film, Eggers makes Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) even more frightening than the original character. The Count is obsessed with his object of desire, the young and very beautiful, Ellen Hutter. played skillfully by Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk, The King). Ellen is unhinged, periodically waking in hysterics from terrifyingly realistic dreams of someone or something haunting her. We see her dreams which telegraph what’s coming.
Her husband, Thomas Hutter, (Nicholas Hoult – The Order, TV’s The Great, The Menu) is a real estate agent, portrayed as a weak man constantly trying to calm his wife. Hoult’s characterization is not as strong as we’ve seen in other films. Thomas’s employer Knock (Simon McBurney) makes him leave his agitated wife to go far up in the mountains to get Count Orlok’s signature on papers for property that is right next to Thomas and Ellen. Although Thomas doesn’t want to go, he has to make a living. Knock, is creepy, seeming to have ulterior motives for getting Orlok’s signature. Ellen pleads with Thomas not to leave. She has a premonition that danger lies ahead for both of them.
Orlok is scary business played by Bill Skarsgård. The actor is already known for playing very dark characters. (IT, The Crow, Boy Kills World, John Wick Chapter 4) Huge, dark, wearing a cloak, his arms seem even longer with even more exaggerated pointy nails that extend his reach. You barely see his face in shadow which makes him seem even more daunting. You wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley or any alley. Skarsgård worked with a voice coach to lower his timber to sound even more sinister and his movements are slow and disturbing.
This is where the film veers from the original. While Thomas is dealing with Orlok, Ellen becomes desperately ill. Thomas’ friend Friedrick, (Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Kick-Ass, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla) left to watch over Ellen while Thomas is gone, calls Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe-The Lighthouse, Poor Things). He plays a vilified professor who has become an expert on the occult. Dafoe bounces around in the film dictating what datastardly influence is causing Ellen’s melt down.
Lily-rose Depp gives a commanding performance, but Dafoe is the scene stealer. Eggers crafts an update of classic horror to honor the past using today’s technology. And a bloody sacrifice gives Orlok a final meal that’s a real heart stopper.
Focus Features 2 Hours 12 Minutes R
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