To begin with, I am not a fan of horror films.
However, I would style myself as a fan of certain takes of horror. The original Nosferatu I thought was a groundbreaking work of cinema, so I was curious when I learned there was a director aiming to remake this classic.
Never before have I been watching a film that sparked such strong revulsion and outcry from my audience. I do not dare to say that my opinion is the correct, nor shared opinion, but I came away from this film rather disappointed and a touch disgusted at what seemed to be a distribution of work to placate or entertain some rather disturbing fetishes around mental illness and occult erotica. Let us begin.
To start, Robert Eggers' 2024 remake of Nosferatu feels less of a remake and more of ann attempt to inject snd foster degeneracy into a classic work rather than stand alone as art. The film's graphic and seemingly positive depictions of necrophilia are particularly disturbing, with scenes that not only portray such acts as being sacred callings of a duty but also seem to normalize them, all the while scolding the audience for being too numbed by ‘science’ and ‘modern day morality’. This approach is rather wild, and frankly ill timed.
Furthermore, the film's treatment of mental illness is problematic to put it mildly. Ellen Hutter, portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp, experiences a descent into madness, yet the narrative romanticizes her psychological turmoil, suggesting a perverse allure in her instability that her husband exploits for sexual gratification; a theme that movie seems all to eager to explore and indeed encourage. This portrayal is not only insensitive but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes about mental health, rather encouraging families to play along with harmful mental illnesses and promotion of occult medicine.
I myself have concerns with how Nosferatu’s attack is seen as a form of near sexual bliss for the victim at times. This alone is a problem, but when children are added on his list of victims it raises eyebrows to put it mildly.
Eggers' Nosferatu is a film that, despite its aesthetic strengths, is marred by its gratuitous and offensive content. Some may call it innovative, but I reserve the opinion to say that it is profoundly disturbing and question the audience that finds these themes captivating. The depiction of necrophilia and the romanticization of mental illness are not only in poor taste but also contribute to a narrative that is both disturbing and irresponsible; especially by today’s standards. If anything is worth seeing in this film, it is William DeFoe and Ralph Ineson’s performances, both of whole elevate and add life to this slow paced movie that seems either misguided or off course with its story telling.