Top Pick - Nosferatu
Oscar Tidbit: Nosferatu earned four nominations at the 2025 Academy Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup & Hairstyling. While it walked away empty-handed, the competition was fierce. It arguably should have won Best Cinematography over The Brutalist, but Wicked deservedly took both Production and Costume Design, and The Substance rightfully claimed Makeup & Hairstyling.
My expectations were high for this movie, as director Robert Eggers has become one of my favorite directors with films such as The Lighthouse and The Witch (a.k.a. VaVitch — inside joke!). Eggers has a gift for transporting his audience and immersing them in worlds full of witches, curses, prophecy, and monsters. He breaks the fabric of reality — Nosferatu is no exception to his brilliance.
Every second of this film felt necessary. It was never boring and made me feel scared watching alone in the dark. Shh... what was that? Every scene built tension and served the story. There were several intertwined storylines that came together seamlessly, and each character had their moment — and there were a lot of characters.
The essence of the story, set in 19th-century Germany, follows Thomas Hutter, a young newlywed who journeys to the Count's castle in England, hoping to purchase it for the real estate company he works for and earn enough money to build a future with his beautiful wife, Ellen. When he meets the Count, we see the start of a dark obsession with Ellen. This evil presence eventually overtakes her, leading to sleepwalking and disturbing body contortions.
This is where Willem Dafoe's character, Professor Albin, comes in to help the young woman as her husband is away. Dafoe plays the role as an almost mad scientist — over-the-top and exaggerated — but his performance is so spot-on that it truly stands out.
The movie is a masterpiece, with all the pieces seamlessly woven together — from the cinematography to the sound of wind and rain. The world Eggers created felt like it was right outside my door. That’s the terrifying part: he makes everything feel so real, like the forces of evil are just on the other side of it.
