Lance Hamm

I don't suppose everyone will appreciate this film. As I see from many of the reviews, there are a number of naysayers who clearly didn't get it. However, it was the same with The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman. Some viewers will simply not understand what Eggers does, and I would ask those people to please remember this and skip his future projects. You're clearly looking for some Hollywood, formulaic drek that Eggers will never produce-- save your money for the next installment of The Fast and the Furious. Or if you're looking for the kind of vampires who sparkle in the sunlight or cast smoldering glances at the camera, maybe Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will team up again to bring back something of your taste. The key to appreciating a Robert Eggers film is to fully surrender yourself to the context of the film. If the setting is in the early colonial wilds of America and the characters are of an ultra fundamentalist mindset in which even the Puritans aren't quite "pure" enough (as with The Witch), you would do well to check your modern sensibilities at the door. If you're judging the characters from your contemporary point of view, you won't identify with the sheer terror of the protagonist's perspective. The same is true with Nosferatu-- those who view this film should know that they're being immersed in a Gothic experience. There are certain characteristics of Gothic narratives which go well beyond setting (eerie old castles, torch-lit corridors, etc). There are also themes, motifs, and character / social dynamics which are part of defining what is truly "Gothic." If I hear one more 'critic' weigh in on how the character of Ellen Hutter doesn't embody the characteristics of a modern female-lead, I may scream. Her character is not meant to be a stand-in for Barbie 2; she is of her time, and as such, she acts as the heroine by defying conventions in her own way. Nosferatu is a retelling an old vampire tale, featuring some even older, ancient tropes. Two sources are credited at the end: FW Murnau's 1922 silent film and Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula. Anyone who is familiar with Robert Eggers would not expect him to betray the original material. True, Eggers has elaborated upon some aspects of the previous works-- Stoker and Murnau couldn't have included explicit sex scenes in their masterpieces, and who knows if they were ever inclined to. However, the sexuality / sensuality is there, and it resides between the lines and saturates the scenes. Some are calling Eggers' depiction pornographic, while others consider it an artful interpretation. I'm in the second camp. Nosferatu is art, and Eggers is an artist. And like all art, people will debate its merits and value.

Meh. There were times I felt the series was trying to delve into something gritty and profound, and others in which I felt like I was watching a low-rent, Lifetime production