📹 The Premise

Eggers reimagines the 1922 silent classic as a gothic fever dream soaked in death, desire, and deterioration. This version follows Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and his increasingly cursed fiancée Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) as Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) spreads his plague of decay from a distant castle to their urban doorstep. It’s less about plot, more about mood—and the mood is rot.

🎥 The Format

Dreamlike horror, soft dialogue, and long, unblinking stares into the darkness. Eggers leans into texture: the echo of footsteps, flickering candlelight, and the creeping sensation that everyone on screen has already died, they just don’t know it yet.

✅ What Makes It Work

Cade called it “straight-up haunting”—especially the shadow work and final act. Kit praised the commitment to stillness: actors barely speak, and when they do, it’s like interrupting a séance. The decision to use practical effects and old-world cinematography gives it a “rotted fairytale” look that feels unique, not gimmicky.

⚠️ What Doesn’t Land

It’s not trying to be accessible. The pacing is brutal. Cade joked that it was “like watching a corpse model for oil painters.” Kit mentioned that some viewers might call it boring—but for them, the tension worked because it never tried to explain itself. If you’re not already in, you won’t be pulled in.

💸 Should It Have a Bigger Budget?

Kit: “No—it looks exactly how it should. Money would’ve ruined the texture.”
Cade: “This is the rare case where grime is the point. Let it rot.”

🎯 The Verdict

A slow-burn horror poem that leaves claw marks instead of jump scares. If you want your vampires romantic, this ain’t it. If you want them filthy, uncanny, and terrifying—this is for you.

— Cade’s Score: 4.5/10
— Kit’s Score: 4/10

🍿 Pair This Movie With...

Snack: stale bread and red wine (don’t ask why, just go with it)
Drink: absinthe you don’t finish
Activity: write a letter with a fountain pen, burn it, then stare into the smoke

🎧 Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2kaH2BpUcEouX5LWCUQ7ed?si=ff1e2b355c5944e1

🍏 Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cade-and-kit/id1771553610

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/cadeandkit

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