Nosferatu (Movie Review)

***This movie will contain spoilers***

Summary:

In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter's new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that's far beyond her control.

I watched this movie last night in theatre with my boyfriend at our local cineplex since they were having a special of $5 per ticket for the next few Tuesdays and this is the first time in a long time I regret my movie pick. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect since I maybe saw the trailer for a few seconds but I expected so much better. I've never left a movie theatre feeling so defiled and needing to go to church the day after. I've seen some disturbing movies over the years but this movie really takes it to another level. I've seen the Terrifier movies with Art the clown and even this movie is worse on so many levels. Over 2 hours of simulated demonic practices, such disgusting debauchery and wishing for an actual good movie. 

The day after watching it I'm not sure if my mind is trying to suppress the memories or if my brain is just stopping me from fully processing the mess that I witnessed. This movie in a nutshell is basically Lily Depp writhing around and moaning while she dreams/ is psychically connected to Count Orlok until these two finally meet up in person and fuck all night long till the morning comes. I really am curious how the table reading went with all this debauchery in a script. Who read this script and thought to green light it? You cannot convince me that Hollywood isn't filled with evil when they release something like this on Christmas.  

It feels wrong knowing that Lily Depp got paid to shake on the ground like a Chihuahua about to die. Almost every scene is her either moaning like an animal in heat or seizing like an epileptic. And I can say this because I used to have epilepsy as a child. One thing I still wasn't super clear on was how she connected to Count Orlok. She was a child who felt lonely and psychically reached out into the unknown and woke him up? Sounds satanic af. Eventually, her father found her naked on the ground writhing about at the tender age of twelve...I felt lonely as a child but you know what I did? Not summon a demon but sat down and played with my barbies like a normal child. 

Watching this movie felt like everyone but Thomas (Helen's husband) was in on all the craziness and he was just along for the ride. Helen's father sends him off to the Count so he can be drained/ killed? But the only thing that saves him is the word of God. That should have been his clue to saving Helen when he finally gets back home. But instead Helen gives herself to Count Orlok. They said that she sacrificed herself to save everyone from the Count's plague but I believe that they coupled all night to bind themselves and they moved on to another dimension/ world. The reason why I believe that is because Albin when he first examined Helen said that her mind was in a different world and has left her body behind. She has psychically connected herself to the Count and thus cannot respond to stimuli. Our bodies are sacred and it's no lie that Helen herself said she wanted him but felt shamed. In no story does it say that sleeping with a demon helps save the world. Why would anyone allow anything of evil to defile their body in such a way? 

As if their coupling wasn't grotesque enough. There is a lot of demonic imagery and witchcraft in this movie. There are animals being mutilated and necrophilia. No one thought to seek council with a Priest and maybe try to exorcise the demon's hold on Helen? I understand that not everything gets a happy ending because that is the way of life but this whole movie was gruesome beyond belief. 

Rating: 

This is getting zero stars on 5. Clearly, I did not enjoy this movie but even so some could say that Helen's relationship with Count Orlok is a metaphor of someone being groomed and not being able to break the chains of shame off. Which sounds great in theory but for it to end in death? Helen used Thomas as an anchor but in reality she was obsessed with the Count. She woke him...would that be considered victim blaming? This is why I hate this movie. There is a clear distinction between being victimized by a human versus being tormented and tortured by a demon. I'm Catholic and wholeheartedly believe this movie is more about giving in to your desire and allowing yourself to be given over to evil than it is about saving the world from something you yourself caused. Giving in to evil, especially, in such a sexual manner is in my opinion one of the worst things you can do. And I fear that many people watching it would think doing it themselves would be ok. This movie is vile and I regret ever watching it.