NOSFERATU & BABY GIRL
NOSFERATU (2024)
Written and Directed by Robert Eggers
"He is coming! He is coming!" Characters exclaim over and over again in Robert Eggers' gorgeous Gothic roller coaster of a psychosexual vampire horror drama. And boy does he ever come. Bill Skarsgård, unrecognizable in makeup and shrouded in darkness, looms over the entire picture with his 6'5" frame. Voice deep and booming, with a thick accent and dick swinging, he is equal parts horrifying and mesmerizing as the title character.
Taking place in 1838 Germany, we follow newlyweds Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp as they prepare for their new lives together. Madly in love and desperate to provide, Hoult takes a commission and must travel immediately to Transylvania to finalize a house sale to a one Count Orlock (Skarsgård). Plagued by dark visions and dreams since she was a little girl, Depp protests this trip, fearing something sinister is a afoot. Always listen to your wife!
This is much more of an ensemble piece as we spend a good amount of time with Hoult's character. He has quietly become the most reliable actor of his generation, filling in these somewhat bland on paper characters and infusing them with real sentimentality and layers. We get lots of scenes of Depp writhing around sweatily in a sexual possession and the contortions she does with her body and face is unsettling and just so fun to watch. The entire picture is creepy and disturbing without being downright terrifying (something I appreciate honestly).
The rest of the ensemble is electric, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is hit or miss for me, absolutely crushes it as a family friend to our main couple. He is skeptical until he isn't, and he really shows us that emotional journey. I haven't even mentioned Willem Dafoe, and the rats! So many rats! So much sweaty writhing from everyone. It seems to run maybe 10-20 mins too long, as it loses a bit of steam in the third act and there was a specific style choice that was irksome. Until the ending that is. A great ending forgives a lot and I was completely floored. Succumb to the darkness baby!
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4
BABYGIRL
Written and Directed by Halina Reijn
Ooh girl mama horny! But not the "married to Antonio Banderas for 20 years" kinda horny. It's the "risk my entire life and career for a kinky affair with a much younger intern" kind of horny. And we got MOTHER Nicole Kidman taking the lead...well sort of.
Kidman is a high powered completely wound up kind of frigid CEO of some tech robot company. Married to Banderas with 2 kids, she has the perfect life on paper. Except for the fact she is so unbelievably sexually frustrated she doesn't even know who she is anymore, often having to watch porn and finish herself off after love making. Enter new intern Harris Dickinson and she is almost instantly gushing. They begin a torrid affair where she finally gets to explore her deepest desires, mainly being a pup sub and giving herself over to him completely.
It's all consensual of course. Something the movie takes great effort in establishing. It's not interested in being a morality tale or judging our characters in any extreme negative way. There's many unexpected moments and plot points, especially if you built a certain movie in your head based on the trailers. I appreciated the restraint from going into super predictable territory and instead trying to go for something different and new. Feels fresh and modern.
Nicole Kidman has never given a bad performance, we've come to expect it from her, but she is unreal as babygirl. It's a cliche to talk about actresses of a certain age being "brave" and "fearless" in these roles but that's really what she's doing. While not as extreme as "The Substance" it's very similar to Demi Moore in that picture. She does Botox, gets naked in harsh lighting, allows herself to look older onscreen with no makeup. The vulnerability is a sight to behold and one of the absolute best performances of the year.
The rest of the cast shines, with Dickinson bringing unexpected warmth and depth to the role. Banderas is a steady presence, a man madly in love with his wife, and has a dynamite scene near the end that reminds you why he's been a movie star for decades. It's a fun sexy time with a killer soundtrack to boot. Go ahead, drink that glass of milk babygirl.
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4
