“Dream of me. Only of me.”

Story: Ellen, a young girl, despondent and longing for connection, begs the universe for a companion. The universe answers. “Years later”, newlyweds Thomas and Ellen are starting their lives together. But first Thomas must act as executor to a property sale, traveling from Germany to the Carpathian mountains to visit Count Dracula Orlok, the purchaser of a castle near the lovebirds. But the arrival of the Count – along with the disappearance of Thomas – is a harbinger of bad news for not only Ellen, but the citizens of her town. Coincidence? I think not.

Genre I’d put it in: Beautifully Eerie Horror Remakes
Release Date: 2024
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name. Both are “based” on the book Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Gotta say: Robert Eggers does it again; he takes a story, injects a gothic aesthetic that is at once classical and modern, and delivers a chilling film. Fans of the director will find much to love here, and fans of the original silent film will be pleasantly surprised at how well this remake builds upon the classic tale.

I love seeing Aaron Taylor-Johnson sinking his teeth into a role that’s less action and more dramatic. He’s obviously having fun as Friedrich, the unbeliever whose family is torn apart by the vampire. Does he keep up with Willem Dafoe? Oh c’mon, when Dafoe is given something to really go ham on, who could? (Well, besides Robert Pattinson.) Still, he’s an effective riff on the Absurdly Wealthy Secondary Dude. And Dafoe is incredible as Professor Abraham Van Helsing Albin Eberhart Von Franz, the scientist who’s just as batshit as the areas he studies.

And hoo boy, does Dafoe get to chew scenery here. It’s worth the price of admission alone just to see this man work. Then again, that could be said of any of his roles. But here, Eggers has Dafoe walk the fine line between crazy and camp, slipping into one, then the other, all the while being believable within the supernatural shenanigans in this story. (Plus, it’s fun to watch Dafoe as the scientist, as he’s played “Max Shreck” in 2000’s delightfully comedic horror-mystery Shadow of the Vampire.)

Bill Skarsgård is spooky as hell as the Count, and Eggers wisely keeps the vampire in shadows and sepia for the vast majority of the film. Skarsgård’s performance is creepy, uncomfortable, and horrifying. This vampire is hideous, and while Orlok longs for Ellen, he’s all too aware it’s not love, it’s simply a wish for possession. “I am an appetite. Nothing more…. You are my affliction.” That kind of obsession is terrifying, and the story drives that home.

As Orlok’s love, Lily-Rose Depp has an incredible presence that feels pulled straight from the silent film era. Her physicality in the role is astounding, and I really hope this lady got all the Epsom salts and massages after each scene where she had to twist, turn, shake and shatter. It’s an amazing performance, and I’m absolutely shocked that she didn’t get a Golden Globe tap. Yeah, the field is pretty stacked this year, but Depp’s ability to inhabit her role is worthy of at least a nom.

Special shout-out to Simon McBurney as Herr Knock, Thomas’ employer who becomes a thrall to Orlok. McBurney goes full Renfield here, and the sly madness of Knock is another layer of horror here.

Unlike 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the characters here aren’t given much to do besides dole out exposition. But that’s more than made up for in the focus on the plague that comes with Orlok, something that typically given short shrift in both Nosferatu and Dracula interpretations. The plague is a character in and of itself here, with Orlok’s shadowy hand orchestrating the sickness. It’s an addition that adds to this film’s run time, but is just gross and vital enough to have kept my interest.

The FX are beautifully done, with loads of decrepit buildings, vast shots of old-growth forests, and early 1900’s Europe slowly dragging itself into the new century. Cinematography by Eggars’ long-time cinematic partner Jarin Blaschke gives this film the same sort of visually gripping look seen in their prior films. There’s a touch of silent film set design that Blaschke films beautifully, with the look of the picture shifting from sepia to blue to the shining light of day that almost feels like a religious experience. Expect Blaschke to nab the cinematography Oscar this year, as he’s already swept most of the area film critic’s awards (including ours!) Eggars’ screenplay’s dialogue is a mix of histrionic bombasity, and quiet horror. There were moments where I listened and thought damn, that’s some impressive wordplay there. Bravo.

I could wax poetic about the way this modern-day film harks back to the classic era ’til the bats come home, but I think y’all get the gist. Now go get yourself a popcorn bucket, your favorite crucifix, and I’ll see you at the movies.

#Protip: Folks who love Bill Skarsgård’s take on things that go bump in the night? Well, y’all may be disappointed to hear that he’s done playing Big Bads. At least for a good while…