3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Nosferatu’: 1. I can best equate this moviegoing experience to going to a really fancy restaurant that kinda feels a little too stuffy for one’s taste. Everything looks really great, yet you’re a little confused _(and perhaps a little overwhelmed)_ by the elaborate menu, and the food is surprisingly mediocre despite the extravagant setting. You leave the restaurant feeling somewhat unsatisfied, but you appreciate the overall experience. Ultimately, however, you’re never going back again. 2. One of these actors is not like the other. And that is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Sure, he looks great… always looks great… but it just felt that he was a bit out of his depths considering the talent he was in the company of. 3. I kept trying to find Bill Skarsgård in there somewhere, but boy does he really get lost in these crazy roles. I could have done without the mustache tho.

I was stunned by Nosferatu. Within seconds, I became totally immersed in this gothic world, letting the jawdropping imagery envelop me. To be honest, Robert Eggers has been a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I enjoyed The VVitch, I've found his other movies to be more obtuse, focusing on cinematography and vibes rather than the whole product, often sacrificing themes, character, and plot. Nosferatu is an improvement across the board. This is his most narratively straightforward movie, probably due to both the original movie and Bram Stoker's Dracula laying out the blueprint. However, he never shortchanges the story in service of vibes (something I feel he does often in his movies), often letting it play out beat by beat and actually focusing in on the characters, themes, and emotions. The cinematography is stunning, with multiple memorable scenes that took my breath away. There are scenes in this movie that I can already tell will be studied and referenced by future filmmakers. Even outside the showstopper scenes, everything is shot in such a cinematic way that fully immerses you into the lush sets and costume designs. The acting is phenomenal across the board. I was initially worried by Lily-Rose Depp due to a slightly inconvincing early scene, but she does an excellent job, really excelling during Ellen's fits. Nicholas Hoult continues to impress me with his extremely expressive face, but the biggest surprise was Aaron Taylor-Johnson who blended right in with the rest of the stellar cast. In a lot of ways, this movie feels like Eggers' magnum opus. I will say that the first half of this movie feels stronger than the second half with a much tighter pacing and ratcheting tension. Even with a more methodical pace, the second half still has plenty of showstopper scenes. This is a Christmastime horror movie that I am sure will become a classic and a part of cinema history.

All I wanted for Christmas was for this to be awesome but it’s more of a lump of coal. Some good performances and great cinematography can’t save this from being a disappointment for me. Never scary, never intense, just slow paced dread and terror. Saw this in Dolby digital theater and had a hard time understanding everything The Count said. The ending is also blah to me. This director is talented but for me his best is still The Witch. I do not think general audiences will like this movie.

would. 10/10 no notes.