Movie Mentions: Nosferatu, Kneecap & Nickel Boys
Nosferatu (2024)
Directed by Robert Eggers. 4/5 stars.
The only thing working against the 2024 Robert Eggers version of Nosferatu is that the 1922 F.W. Murnau and 1979 Werner Herzog versions already exist. Of course there are many, many other Dracula movies out there, but it’s these three (Murnau, Herzog, and now Eggers) that best capture the “creature” side of the famous fiend and refrain from portraying him as anything but what he truly is: an abuser. Eggers may not add anything fundamentally new to the story of Count Orlok (or in Herzog’s case, Dracula) but he takes the time, better than the others, to really emphasize just how vile he is. It’s clear from the start that Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) has been habitually abusing poor Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) since she was a child – a chilling distinction that not only separates him from his aforementioned peers, but sets him miles apart from the debonair, handsome, aristocratic, and above all else, romantic versions that are generally associated with vampires. Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gorgeous film to behold, and serves as an excellent companion piece to its groundbreaking predecessors.
Kneecap (2024)
Directed by Rich Peppiatt. 3.5/5 stars.
Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap could have easily gone off the rails at any moment, but thanks to a biting sense of self-awareness and self-deprecation, along with an abundance of political consciousness and rebellious sensibilities, it stays on track as the zany fictionalized account of disaffected Irish youth it aims to be. Satirizing the rise of the real-life Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, Peppiatt’s film transcends the usual constraints found in typical musical biopics to include a healthy dose of activism, governmental defiance, and the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage (namely, subversive uses of the Irish language). The acting is surprisingly good (the members of Kneecap – Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh – play themselves), with the principal cast fully embracing their goofiness and often, their naiveté. But, as you may be aware if you follow entertainment news, it’s the lads’ strict adherence to leftist politics – both in the film and on stages around the world – that steals the show. Kneecap might be billed as a comedy, but make no mistake, these boys are rabble-rousers in the purest sense. Their anti-genocide and anti-colonial messaging has gotten them in some trouble recently (they were charged with “terrorism” in England for displaying the Palestinian flag at a show), but this only proves that their words scare the shit out of the establishment.
Nickel Boys (2024)
Directed by RaMell Ross. 3.5/5 stars.
Nickel Boys tells one hell of a story, but unfortunately, its reliance on gimmicky cinematography relegates it to merely “good” when it could have easily been “great.” Nickel Boys unfolds through the eyes (literally) of its protagonists Elwood and Turner (Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson), two Black teenagers in the Jim Crow South sentenced to an abusive reform school in Florida. The film’s POV shifts between the two (with some historical footage and “flash-forwards” included for context and mystery), with some events observed from both perspectives. I don’t blame director RaMell Ross for trying something different, but his POV approach is often confusing and almost always distracting. The result is a mixed bag of powerful acting and somewhat hokey storytelling devices that don’t add up the way they should. However, despite its technical shortcomings, Nickel Boys is still a worthwhile watch that dramatizes the very real history and shame of Jim Crow.
