Yay, Gothic Horror!

The husband signed up for a month of Peacock streaming because of the upcoming Paris-Roubaix cycling race, but lo and behold, I spotted a few titles I want to watch while I still can -- and that includes Conclave, which I've already seen but still want to go back and watch again. I know some elements of the movie left me wishing for more, but I suspect a second viewing will settle me.

But firstly, I finally got to see Nosferatu, which Peacock streaming has on its list, and it's the extended version, too. Win.

Okay, so my impressions (SPOILERS AHEAD).

Firstly, from a diehard fan of classic gothic horror and of Dracula, I salute Robert Eggers for giving my eyeballs a goddamn FEAST of everything I love about the genre. There's nothing glamorized or romanticized, and that brooding quality that's one of the most basic requirements of gothic horror is elevated further with generous touches of claustrophobia. Every scene feels shrunk down and crowded (even wide shots feel uneasily cramped, if you get my meaning), and I'm here for it.

Now as I'm also a massive fan of Bram Stoker's novel, I was happy to see the story stick closely to the book -- enough to be recognizable as Dracula but also different enough to be clearly Eggers' vision. So the focus on Ellen and her psychic connection to Orlok (also a significant detail in the novel) is main plot of this adaptation and is also explained away not by a vampire's bite but by second sight, which Ellen is born with. As with Mina Harker, who uses her accidental link with Dracula to help Van Helsing and company in their hunt, Ellen uses her connection to destroy Orlok single-handedly. 

I -- am not sold on that approach to the plot's conflict and resolution, to be honest. That was one of the things that kept me from really loving this take (and I really do prefer it over other adaptations I've seen so far though I've yet to watch the original Nosferatu). One of the other issues I had involved Orlok and how un-terrifying he is (but he was so, so close!), likely because of this shift in focus to his single-minded goal to possess Ellen. 

Ellen's seemingly endless fits / seizures and hysterics kept me from enjoying some balance though there were attempts made to give nearly equal treatment to other characters save for Orlok. And I suppose that was what derailed my full appreciation of this film: an imbalance, for lack of a better word. I honestly still can't place my finger on what it was that left me a little cold even though Ellen's desperation actually left me in tears in places. Like -- the movie was both very intimate and unnecessarily bombastic, a combination that didn't sit as well with me as I'd wanted.

That said, though, I did like this movie a hell of a lot more than I expected. The issues I pointed out are insignificant compared to the issues that made me loathe Bram Stoker's Dracula to this day. This version is faithful to the book and is pared down significantly to key moments, and what it struggles with in some places are eased through lush imagery and the sustained tension and brooding atmosphere I crave from gothic horror. The performances are also terrific even if Bill Skarsgård wasn't given much to work with. 

It's also a very bodily fluid-y movie (as an aside: Yikes, Thomas! Lube! LUBE!). I found that to be repulsive and oddly a relief in equal measure, maybe because it helped de-romanticize this take on vampire fiction, which I was hoping for (and am grateful to see).