Saje Murphy

Normally, I am all for grey-scale vampire flicks... But this one fell flat and I barely noticed anything at all. Certain shocking visuals keep you engaged for all of a minute or two when they happen, but the story line is overplayed and boring for the modern age of film. Acting wasn't bad but the writing might be where they lacked depth and empathy from the audience. Out of our group of five viewers, not one of us had any sort of attachment to Ellen or anyone for that matter. The death of Anna and (then Friedrich on top of her) was the only time we had any emotional reactions. If anything, our group giggled through nearly all of the serious parts as the writing and character expressions were anything but believable. I am deeply disappointed with how sick and frail Count Orlok was portrayed. The asthmatic wheezing was pathetic in so many ways. Great acting from Bill but wasn't what I thought we'd get from the writing staff. Handlebar moustache was a choice, and I would have loved for it to contribute to reviving the coolness of them..... but they remain quite silly overall. Unfortunately, I fell asleep for a couple minutes and had to fight to stay awake throughout the last forty-five minutes of the film. Considering we hung out outside the theatre and mingled for an hour post-watch, I do not think my sheepishness had anything to do with a genuine need for sleep. Time will tell, but at this point I do not think I will be rewatching anytime soon (if at all).