Nosferatu film review: This humourless and slow spin on the much-admired original is dull despite spectacular cast

NOSFERATU

(15) 133 mins

★★☆☆☆

THERE are so many remakes hitting the big screen these days that even the thought of some makes my blood run cold.

And this passion project is director Robert Eggers’ take on the 1922 silent horror classic of FW Murnau.

There’s plenty to be admired, too.

The cast, for one, is pretty spectacular.

Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and newly in demand nepo baby, Lily-Rose Depp.

And the look of it is pretty wonderful with its dark and dismal gothic detail.

But this humourless and slow spin on the much-admired original is surprisingly dull.

Evil intentions

It focuses on newlyweds Ellen (Depp) and Thomas Hutter (Hoult).

Thomas is basically an estate agent and is tasked with the job of travelling for days to a strange and snowy land to deal with Count Orlok (an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgård).

Orlok is pretty much a monster rather than human.

Tall, pale with a rumbling voice that delivers each word agonisingly slowly, and long, spindly fingers.

Soon, both Thomas and seemingly clairvoyant Ellen — from her home hundreds of miles away — become caught up and hypnotised by Orlok’s evil intentions.

Ellen has terrifying nightmares and bouts of sleepwalking, consumed by psychic messages from the Count.

He controls her like a freaky puppet master.

He makes his way to his new home in a rat-infested ship and Ellen has to decide whether or not to sacrifice herself to the Count to save the ones she loves.

Cue a lot of moustache rubbing and whispering outside bedrooms as she convulses like the girl in The Exorcist.

Professor von Franz (Dafoe) brings some energy to proceedings as an expert in the occult who helps try to overthrow Orlok’s powers.

All the excellent cast give a fine performance with not much to work with.

But by far the most interesting is from Depp.

While her delivery of lines is certainly not Oscar worthy, her physical ability is something to be admired.

She portrays Ellen’s fits of madness impressively and manages to contort her body in shocking shapes.

There’s plenty of gore to entertain the horror film fans, but I simply couldn’t get excited — or scared — about the story or delivery.

All blood and no bite.

WE LIVE IN TIME

(15) 108 mins               

★★★★☆

PREPARE to swoon and sob your eyes out at the same time.

We Live In Time is a glossy, romantic drama that feels like a relic from a time when big feelings ruled the box office.

Directed by John Crowley, this is a love story that punches you in the gut and then breaks your heart for good measure.

Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield have undeniable chemistry as Almut, a talented chef chasing professional glory, and Tobias, a man rebuilding his life after a recent divorce.

Yes, there’s cancer. Yes, there’s time-jumping.

But this isn’t your standard disease-of-the-week weepy.

Nick Payne’s precise script weaves the highs and lows of an imperfect relationship with an impressive ease.

Pugh, as radiant and as razor-sharp as ever, steals the show, while Garfield balances humour and heartbreak like only he is capable of doing.

It’s not all perfect, though – sprinkling emotional gut-punches across the film lessens the effect of its ending, but the raw emotions hit hard all the same.

LINDA MARRIC

NICKEL BOYS

(12A) 140mins      

★★★★☆

DIRECTOR RaMell Ross delivers a gut-wrenching adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel.

Set in the racially segregated South in 1960s America, this visually stunning, emotionally charged drama follows the experiences of Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) at the Nickel Academy, a reform school rife with racism, abuse and brutality.

Shot predominantly from the boys’ first-person perspective, the film immerses the audience in a dream-like haze that contrasts sharply with the stark horrors unfolding on screen.

Stunning performances ignite this powerful drama, thanks to Herisse’s quietly devastating depiction of Elwood and Wilson’s genial intensity as Turner.

While the movie’s perspective-switching narrative can feel somewhat disorienting at times, it does manage to underscore the profound connection between the boys, culminating in a finale that’s both shocking and deeply moving.

Despite its challenging content, Nickel Boys remains a poignant tale of resilience.

LINDA MARRIC