Nosferatu is a cinematic masterpiece—especially the first half of the movie. I fully expect this movie will have an influence on noir filmmakers in the near future.

The acting was a mixed bag. Lily-Rose Depp (Daughter of Johnny) was outstanding. And kudos to the writers—Robert Eggers, Henrik Galeen—for writing a script that would challenge Lily-Rose to dig deep. Likewise, Nicholas Hoult had a challenging role and he lived up to it.

7:42●●● 95%

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As for the rest. It honestly felt more like watching a play rehearsal. Anytime there were more than three people in a scene together the acting tended to get rather stiff. I think Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a talented actor, but there were some cringe worthy acting moments in this movie for him. It felt like he wasn't at all in touch with his character and I'll put that on the writer/director Robert Eggers. It's his job to help the actors out and, you know, direct.

And then there's Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok. WTF? How is that Bill Skarsgård under that mass of prosthetics? Not in a million years would I have guessed that was him. He was suitably imposing and his voice work shows just how dedicated he is to his craft.

Willem Defoe acting in this movie is hard to pin down. His performance is certainly enthusiastic, but there were a few scenes, again when he was with a trio, that felt stiff. Again, like watching a play rehearsal.

The Message

If there's one thing I'm not crazy about, it's the messaging that a woman's passion is a negative, evil, thing. I understand it had to be done this way, and this is only a story, so this isn't a major criticism. And at the same time, it's a story about a woman who is brave enough to face her creation and sacrifice herself to save the city. So there's that.

Grade: B+

Plot A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.