Essentially unnecessary

Does Nosferatu have a mustache or not? That, it turns out, became one of the key questions and objections when the fourth feature-length film was eagerly awaited. Direction Roberta Eggers arrived at the world championships at the end of last year movie theatersNow, when Nosferatu shows here, after we looked at it as soon as it became possible, the conclusion is that those mustaches, so highlighted in numerous shows and reviews, are the least important of all. A vampire can be moustached or hairy, it's up to him (the creators), that's not what makes a movie good or bad. What matters is what kind of film it is, and Eggers's Nosferatu belongs to that group of accomplishments which, although not without quality, are essentially unnecessary. Although, if we're being honest, this applies to gro productions. Little in the offer is truly essential and indispensable.

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Robert Eggers is a brave man. He dared to shoot a remake of the 1922 German film, the famous silent horror Nosferatu - Symphony of Horrors directed by FV Murnau and with the mysterious Max Schreck in the role of Count Orlok, a vampire who goes from the Transylvanian mountains to a German town in search of fresh blood.

This previous sentence alone is enough to see the connection between them Nosferatu and Stoker's hit novel Dracula from 1897, which isn't surprising given that Murnau's film is actually a fairly literal adaptation of Stoker's story, with a few details changed in a (it turns out: unsuccessful) attempt to avoid a lawsuit. Original Nosferatu eventually became one of the most appreciated horror films of all time, and prominent German filmmaker Werner Herzog shot the first remake in 1979. Herzogov Nosferatu: Phantom of the night it achieved great commercial success, and there was no lack of praise from critics. In Herzog's film, the main roles were played by Klaus Kinski, Isabel Adjani and Bruno Ganz, and this work, just like Murnau's original film, is today considered a classic of the seventh art.

Eggers therefore had a very difficult task, which was to try to reach these two masterpieces. His effort is noticeable, but the end result does not delight. New Nosferatu is a solid film in which excellent photography, costumes and scenography stand out, but which, when everything is added and subtracted, is not even comparable to its predecessors. The story that Eggers serves us here has been told many times before, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to breathe new life into it. Bill Skarsgård as the mustachioed Count Orlok stays in the shadows for most of the film, which is a smart tactic, and his character has the necessary mix of bizarre and uncanny. Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe are outstanding in their roles, as expected, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corinne fail to match them. Taylor Johnson is especially weak, like he came from another movie. The main role in this version is played by Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, a young woman who is physically perfect for the role of Ellen Hatter, but acting fails to achieve the required strength of emotion and tragedy. Her Ellen could have become a tragic heroine worthy of an Antigone, but the young actress is not able to give her the relief she needs, which is certainly partly Eggers' fault. According to the original plan, this role was to be played by Anya Taylor Joy, an actress with whom Eggers had already collaborated in Witches i Northerner, but it backfired. The key role thus went to an insufficiently experienced actress, and there arose a kurzschluss that cost the film dearly.

Eggers, known for his masterful work in films A witch i Lighthouse, he showed weakness already in his third directorial venture, the Viking extravaganza Northerner, inspired by the original version of the story of Hamlet. Nosferatu suffers from similar diseases as Northerner: both films are too long and do not fundamentally bring anything new on the narrative level. They are visually exciting and atmospheric, like all of Eggers' films, but they are essentially without a real reason for being, they do not bring anything new. This is especially true for the latest film, which is also the weakest in Eggers' oeuvre so far.

Don't get me wrong... There is something here to watch on the big screen. Eggersov Nosferatu, for all its flaws, deserves to be seen in the cinema for its unique atmosphere, which skillfully evokes the dark spirit of classic horror. Visually, the film impresses with unsettling shots that create a sense of foreboding and mysticism, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in that consistent gothic aesthetic. Music by Robin Carolan (with whom Eggers also collaborated on the aforementioned Northerner) and sound design also play a key role in creating tension, which further enriches the viewing experience. Although critics rightfully criticize the slow pace (the film runs for 133 minutes - at least half an hour longer than it should) and drawn-out segments, those moments of silence occasionally contribute to building tension and scares. As expected, Eggers skilfully combines modern film techniques with elements that pay homage to old horror films, it can be seen that the film was made by someone who "knows the knowledge" and who prepared well for it, with the fact that in the end Nosferatu yet it feels like forced homework done with a certain finesse, but without real verve and desire.