Nosferatu

Ever since they announced that Eggers was adapting "Nosferatu" I knew that it was going to be one special film and I was not wrong. "Nosferatu" follows estate agent Thomas Hutter who travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter's new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that's far beyond her control.

Before we dive into anything else, I must start by praising Bill Skarsgård's portrayal of Count Orlok. This guy knows how to bring monsters to life, and everything from his voice to his looks and mannerisms made Orlok so terrifying! Praise should also go towards Lilly Rose-Deep and Nicholas Hoult, who also delivered phenomenal performances. Lilly Rose-Deep especially surprised me with her performance here, and all the "possession" scenes were truly horrifying! Speaking of horrifying stuff, this film is, in my opinion, the best horror film of 2024 and my favorite horror film of all time. This is as perfect as horror films can be! There's truly a very grounded and uneasy feeling when I watch this film, and it was truly terrifying! It's a slow burn that gradually gets a hold of you and sends chills down your spine! Lastly, I must praise Willem Dafoe's performance. No Eggers film is complete without Dafoe playing a freak and he looks like he was having a blast with his role! 

Furthermore, I must praise the story here. Eggers is one of the best storytellers and writers out there right now, and his ability to tell captivating and intense stories never fails to amaze me! The story here was phenomenal and knocked Murnau's take out of the park! While there were sexual themes explored in Murnau's version of "Nosferatu," they were nothing but undertones to the story. Instead, Eggers chose to expand on that and made the story much more interesting and much more complex in a way. The ending, in particular, was masterful, and the final shot had my jaw on the floor. On that note, I must praise the cinematography here by Jarin Blaschke. He did a fantastic job here, and some of these shots blew me away. Additionally, I must praise the camera work. This film has the best camera work I've seen in 2024. Mind-blowing doesn't even cut it for the camera work, and you won't believe anything I say until you see it! Every frame was so immaculate and intricate; that it felt like a painting! 

Last but not least, I must praise the set design and the costumes here. I don't usually praise costume designs, but "Nosferatu" is a rare exception. The costume designs were truly stunning for everyone, but the one design that made me go wow was Count Orlok! His design was nuts and made him so much more terrifying. It's unlike any past design of his, and this is what made him much more scary! A lot of this film is done practically with minimal VFX and CGI, and those sets really set the mood for this film. Whether it be the bustling streets or Count Orlok's castle, they create an unmatched atmosphere! Lastly, I must praise the haunting score by Robin Carolan. His score added and accentuated every single scene in this film, and the end scene was truly masterful. I can keep talking for days and days about this film, but words cannot sum up how much I love this film. I'm a huge gothic literature fan, and this was just a dream come true to me. "Nosferatu" is not only the best horror film of 2024 but the best film of 2024!