Robert Eggers, the modern master of gothic horror, is at long last bringing his deep-and-dark passion project to theaters this, uh, Christmas!
The notion of remaking an all-time classic like F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu” might sound utterly mad, but this kind of risk-taking is what we’ve come to expect from the man who gave us “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman.” Eggers is a conjurer. He can tell a good, tight story, but you go to his movies to be seduced by whatever spell he’s casting. And when it comes to “Nosferatu,” judging from the spooky trailer it looks like we’ll be getting a big ol’ dollop of dread.
Authenticity is a key to Eggers approach, which is why he loves to shoot out in the elements as much as possible. With “Nosferatu,” he’s taking this commitment to tactile cinema further than many filmmakers have gone before — specifically, those making Dracula movies. When you think of the great vampire films — e.g. Tod Browning’s “Dracula,” Terrence Fisher’s 1958 “Dracula” for Hammer, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” – you think of sumptuous castle sets filled with cobwebs and creepy-crawlies. This is what’s on Eggers’ mind, too, only scratch the “sets” part.
