Longhorns may have been on winter break the past month, but Hollywood wasn’t. The Daily Texan is here to provide some valuable insight on a few of the season’s latest releases — including “Nosferatu,” “Nightbitch” and “Carry-On.”
“Nosferatu” — “Does evil come from within us, or from beyond?”
Director Robert Eggers pays homage to gothic film in this upholstered classic vampire tale “Nosferatu.” Eggers reuses tried-and-true stars, like Willem Dafoe (Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz) and Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu/Count Orlok), and gives Lily-Rose Depp (Ellen Hutter) a chance to demonstrate her impressive emotional range. In this enchantingly terrifying story, the reappearance of a vampire forces a young newly-wed to face her past shame.
Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is not for the faint of heart, with shocking and at times stomach-churning imagery accompanied by constant tension, a chilling soundtrack and artful cinematography. Strip “Twilight” of all teenage romance and PG-13 restraint, and “Nosferatu” is left — gore and all. Eggers nails the gothic and haunting tone, as expected with his repertoire, and masterfully retains an element of mystery around Nosferatu until the poetically tragic conclusion.
4 diseased rats out of 5
“Nightbitch” — “I’m the housewife I never wanted to be.”
Actress Amy Adams paves the way for unconventional female roles in this animalistic take on motherhood. The book adaptation “Nightbitch,” directed by Marielle Heller, follows an artist called Mother (Adams) who gives up a life of high class galleries and posh associates to become a stay-at-home mom whose social life consists of children’s book readings and playground meetings.
What initially appears as a pessimistic take on motherhood becomes a celebration of the sacrificial role mothers play as life-givers. “Nightbitch” drains motherhood of idealistic romanticism, while criticizing modern institutions that denigrate the role of mothers.
While combining elements of psychological thriller, body horror and dark comedy, “Nightbitch” struggles to find a consistent tone throughout the film which makes for confusing and awkward storytelling. Nevertheless, “Nightbitch” may feel refreshingly relatable to some and contributes a uniquely raw perspective on the reality of motherhood.
3 hashbrowns out of 5
“Carry-On” — “Airports turn people into such dickheads.”
As if airports weren’t already stressful enough, the Netflix action thriller “Carry-On” adds a new dimension to airport panic. During the film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, a daring airport security officer (Taron Egerton) tries to stop a mysterious stranger (Jason Bateman) from slipping a dangerous item onto a Christmas Eve flight.
Egerton displays true action star potential, with running skills parallel to Tom Cruise in his glory days. Bateman performs seamlessly as the villain, and audiences won’t mind hearing him voiceover the film for nearly two hours. However, the romance between the security officer and his girlfriend felt like an artificial attempt at deepening a plot which clearly wanted to get straight to the action.
An airport doesn’t typically make for an interesting atmosphere, but despite the flatness of the setting, “Carry-On” presents a thrilling and clever story sure to engage dads everywhere with its heightened energy and satisfying “gotcha” moments.
3½ peppermint Ho Hos out of 5