Writer-director Robert Eggers
(The Witch, The Lighthouse,
The Northman) helms this retro iteration of the classic vampire tale focusing on Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), who’s haunted by vampire Count Orlok (Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd). Orlok travels by ship from Transylvania to Germany to be with Ellen, bringing the Black Plague with him. (132 min.)
Glen Robert Eggers has created an instant classic, staying true to his source material. His vampire is truly nightmarish, death incarnate, completely devoid of sentimental romance. Orlok is simply a bringer of death, a metaphor for disease. Ellen is the center of the story, a beautiful young woman afflicted with horrifying thoughts who is mysteriously connected to Count Orlok, who’s obsessed with her. Ellen’s husband, Thomas (Nicholas Hoult), is sent by his employer, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), to Count Orlok’s castle in Transylvania’s Carpathian Mountains, where he is to present the count with the deed to his new stately but decrepit home in Wisborg, Germany. When the count arrives by ghost ship (having consumed the crew), Wisborg is flooded with plague-carrying rats. Though she resists, Ellen must submit herself to the count within three days, or he will kill Thomas and everyone she loves.
Anna There’s nothing quite like gothic horror done well, and Eggers certainly seems to have his finger on the pulse on the genre. His films are all striking, from the claustrophobic 1.19:1 aspect ratio of The Lighthouse to the stark and unsettling scenery in The Witch, and he has once again built a world that is just as much a character in the film as the people are. While Ellen knows the trip for Thomas will end in disaster, she also knows that Count Orlok will not be stopped from coming to find her. Using black and white imagery mixed in with color, Eggers finds a very clever way of pulling us from dreamland into reality as the characters battle with what they see while they sleep. It’s moody, and the dread is worn on all of their faces as time goes on and the count grows closer and closer to his final destination.Â
Glen There’s a lot of tension, and while I wouldn’t characterize the film as frightful, despite a couple effective jump scares, it is atmospheric and visually arresting. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke returns to work with Eggers again, and each frame of the film is superb. The sets, costumes, lighting—every element of mise en scène—feels impeccably planned. SkarsgÃ¥rd is excellent as Orlok, creating a rumbling voice and accent for the vampire. Depp is otherworldly, with her deep, dark eyes, and baleful visage. She looks haunted. Willem Defoe plays the Van Helsing-type character, Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, and though he’s almost a caricature, Defoe plays it straight. The supernatural is real in Eggers’ world. The film may not be especially scary, but it is extraordinarily beautiful and well crafted. Eggers is a true auteur. There’s nobody else making films like his, and as good as his first three features are, this may be his finest film yet. Absolutely a must-see on the big screen. I’d watch it again right now.
Anna SkarsgÃ¥rd is effective as the monster—grotesque and menacing and single-minded in his quest. Dafoe’s Eberhart von Franz gives the film further push into the meat of the story and the inevitable conclusion. He’s putting together the puzzle that Ellen already knows the answer to in her heart but can’t bring herself to face. It’s all atmosphere, and Eggers is a master at world building. Everything about this is well executed and thought out; the attention to detail in costuming and set building is extraordinary. I agree, this is one to watch again. Δ
Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Volunteers 2025.