Christmas came early for the profs this year, with an advance screening to Robert Eggers’ hotly anticipated adaptation of Nosferatu! We recorded our immediate reaction at the cinema for our Patreon, but we wanted to spread the good cheer for the film’s wide release.
Hear our raw reactions – but beware spoilers if you don’t want details!
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I think Ellen’s reaction to Orlok taking her is less shocked/disgusted than you were expecting because it’s not completely new to her. She’d already experienced a psychic version of it (which she’d discussed) and has different associations with it.
Just discovered the podcast because after seeing Nosferatu I was desperately looking for this exact take, and all I could find were a bunch of cinephile bros circle jerking around it. Thank you for asserting how I feel about this movie. Visually stunning, but ultimately left me wanting more (and maybe a little less due to its bloated runtime).
Yyyup! I pretty much felt the same as you both on this one. Very beautiful, but not a lot to it. I love the atmosphere, where it feels like no one is coming to save anyone, similar to Th VVitch (although yes, the Lily Depp character sacrifices herself for all. It feels almost like it’s just the alternate universe Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I kind of liked Orlock, but yes, the built up didn’t quite pay off like I’d hoped.
Lily Depp was… good, but I had a hard time getting past the limp expressions and whispery voice. I thought the high horror parts she did pretty well though. But my biggest issue was the way so much of her part – the “please daddy” little voice, the way she’s shot, the breathless porno mouth, etc. – just felt like way more than I personally need, even in a vampire movie. It was to the point that I almost turned it off several times. And I really like Eggers! I really hope he doesn’t go down the Wes Anderson path of pretty but vapid.
I loved your take on it, and I appreciate a little bit more now the feminist aspects. (Although I don’t think it’s going to warrant a rewatch for me.)