Set on an alternate planet earth in a retro-futuristic version of New York City in the early 1960s, the film is about four people who had returned from outer space with superpowers as they face a threat who wants to devour their planet unless they give him something he wants. It is a film that is about a family that is about to have a new addition to the family while dealing with a threat that wants to destroy Earth unless they give him their unborn child. The film’s screenplay is set in 1964 just four years after these four people had gone to outer space and return with new powers as they have become celebrated superheroes and a beacon of hope for Earth. Even as they live in the Baxter building in the middle of New York City as well as resolving issues in and around the city. That all changes when a mysterious figure known as the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives with a warning that Earth is to be devoured by a gigantic cosmic being known as Galactus.
The first act is about this family in Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her younger brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Richards’ longtime friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they all have different superpowers while they also cope with this new threat in Galactus. Richards, whose power is to stretch his body as wide as it can be while he is also one of the smartest scientists in the world, is not so smart when it comes to being social while the idea of becoming a father has him worried about everything. Storm is a woman that can turn invisible and project force fields while is also someone who is good at resolving issues whether it is in the city or for the United Nations as she is also the most grounded of the four. Storm’s brother Johnny has the power to fly and can control fire as he is also someone that likes to be a heartthrob and make jokes with Richards often being the target. Grimm is a man that has a body that is like gigantic rock figure, but he has great strength and is also a man that is down-to-earth as he often visits Brooklyn and is also an accomplished cook. The four together are a family as they are also with their robotic companion named H.E.R.B.I.E. (voice of Matthew Wood) and a new arrival as Susan is pregnant which adds to the stakes of the film as it becomes an unlikely bargaining chip for Galactus.
The second act is about the group’s first encounter with Galactus as they travel through space by tracking through the Silver Surfer’s energy signature as they learn what Galactus wants. During this time, Johnny’s encounters with the Silver Surfer has him trying to get to know her where he would decipher recordings Richards made as he would learn about her ties to Galactus. Even as time is running out for Earth with the Fantastic Four facing backlash over what they are not willing to do upon facing Galactus in the film’s third act.
Matt Shakman’s direction plays into a visual style that is based on its comic and the design work of one of the comic’s creators in Jack Kirby. Shot on location at the Pinewood Studios at Buckinghamshire, England along with some exterior shots set in England and the United Nations building shot at the Palace of Congresses in Oviedo, Spain. Shakman creates a film that does play as a retro-futuristic world set in the 1960s during the space race as the Fantastic Four are already celebrated with Grimm often visiting Brooklyn to get food from local Kosher groceries. There is also a bit of hand drawn animation that highlights the Fantastic Four as an animated TV series created by a team of animators in the style of the 1960s. Shakman’s direction would include a lot of wide and medium shots as it plays into this idea of New York City but also outer space during a key scene where the group confront Galactus in his home base. There are also close-ups and intimate moments in how the group interact with one another as well as Johnny’s own encounter with the Silver Surfer as he admits to be attracted to her while also wondering why she is linked with Galactus.
Shakman does play at the stakes of what the Fantastic Four must deal with as they get a look at what Galactus does with Richards trying to find a solution. Yet, there is the other problem as it relates to the arrival of the new addition to the family as this child is the one thing that can stop Galactus from devouring Earth. It is a sacrifice that Storm refuses to take as the team try to figure out what to do despite the public turning on them after learning from Richards in what Galactus wants. The third act is not just about an experiment that Richards has been working on early in the film but also in luring Galactus out of his throne and spaceship. There is a lot that happens as well as this sense of urgency while there is also some humor throughout the film. Still, the climax is happening where these four superheroes face off against this giant cosmic figure as well as making big moves to save their planet. Overall, Shakman crafts a gripping and compelling film about a family of four superheroes trying to protect their planet from a gigantic cosmic figure who wants to eat the planet.
Cinematographer Jess Hall does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography from the exteriors of New York City as well as the nighttime scenes at the Baxter Building interior and exteriors of the city including some gorgeous interior shots for the scenes in the spaceship during the film’s second act. Editor Nona Khodai and Tim Roche do excellent work with the editing in allowing shots to linger for a bit in some of the tracking shots as well as utilizing fast-cuts for some of the action scenes while making sure the audiences understands what is going on. Production designer Kasra Farahani, along with set decorator Jille Azis and supervising art director Nick Gottschalk, does incredible work with the look of the film from the interior/exterior design of the Baxter Building as well as the look of New York City including Times Square as it has this retro-futuristic look that is just astonishing to watch as it is a highlight of the film. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does fantastic work with the design of the costumes that the Fantastic Four wear in their adventures as well as the casual clothing they wear that plays to the look of the early 1960s.
Hair/makeup designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou does terrific work with the look of the hairstyles of the characters as it plays into the look of the 1960s. Special effects supervisor Alistair Williams, along with visual effects supervisor Robert Allman and Scott Stokdyk, does amazing work with the visual effects including the usage of puppetry for the robot H.E.R.B.I.E. as well as the motion-capture design of the Silver Surfer and the Thing as it is a highlight of the film. Sound editors Josh Gold and Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound as it plays into the sound effects in some of the gadgets as well as how crowd sounds from outside a building and other sparse sound effects.
The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is phenomenal for its exhilarating music score that features sweeping orchestral flourishes and themes that play into the drama, suspense, and action with lush string arrangements and bombastic brass and percussive arrangements as it is one of Giacchino’s finest scores. Music supervisor Justine von Winterfeldt creates a fun soundtrack that features a lot of music from the 1960s including Juan Garcia Esquivel, Brenton Woods, George Bruns, Chet Baker, the Bad Seeds, Paul Martin, and Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers as well as an original song from Andrea Datzman played in the film’s final credits.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Mark Gatiss as the TV show host Ted Gilbert, Natasha Lyonne as Grimm’s love interest in the schoolteacher Rachel Rozman, Sarah Niles as Susan’s friend Lynne Nichols who runs a foundation created by the Fantastic Four, Matthew Wood as the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E., Ada Scott as one of the babies playing Richards and Storm’s newborn son Franklin, and from the 1994 unreleased film version produced by Roger Corman. Alex Hyde-White and Rebecca Staab as two news reporters while Jay Underwood and Michael Bailey Smith as two power plant workers who salute Johnny after he saves them. Paul Walter Hauser is superb as Harvey Eller/Mole Man as a former villain who runs an underground civilization as he becomes a key figure in its third act where he is asked to play a role in saving humanity. Julia Garner is fantastic as the Silver Surfer as a woman with a body covered in silver who rides a surfboard who serves as a herald for Galactus while hiding secrets of her own that allows Garner to flesh out the woman who would become the Silver Surfer through her encounters with Johnny Storm.
Ralph Ineson is excellent as Galactus as this gigantic cosmic figure who has an insatiable hunger that will not stop where Ineson provides calmness to his voice that is chilling while he can be reasoned with but at a price where Ineson does make Galactus an antagonist that is compelling to watch. Finally, there’s Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in spectacular performances as the Fantastic Four. Moss-Bachrach’s performance as Ben Grimm/the Thing is a delight as this rock-like figure who has accepted what he has become while is also this big brother figure to everyone as he is also full of life and joy as well as remaining humble in his visits to Brooklyn and its Jewish community. Quinn’s performance as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch is fun as this young man who is a heartthrob to women but is also a lot smarter than people give him credit for where he would decipher the Silver Surfer’s language as he is attracted to her but also puts in a lot of time to find out who she really is adding a lot of depth to a character that is often presented as immature and arrogant.
Pascal’s performance as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic with the power to stretch his body to great lengths adds humor to a man that is extremely intelligent but is socially awkward as he tries to do what he can to protect his unborn child while struggling to find answers to save his planet and child where Pascal adds layers to the character. Kirby’s performance as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman is the heart of the film as a woman that can bring everyone together while is also dealing with a child coming into her life where Kirby has a gravitas to a woman that is so hellbent on protecting her child. Whether it is through her force fields and ability to be invisible or through just talking to the people as it is a performance for the ages as Kirby creates one of best portrayals of a superheroine captured on film.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a sensational film by Matt Shakman that features great performances from Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular heroes. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, outstanding art direction, dazzling visual effects, a heartfelt story on family, and Michael Giacchino’s enthralling music score. It is a film that exceeds its namesake in many ways while also being a superhero film full of adventure, humor, and heart. In the end, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a phenomenal film by Matt Shakman.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - The Marvels - (Deadpool & Wolverine) – (Captain America: Brave New World) – (Thunderbolts*)
Phase Six: (Avengers: Doomsday) – (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2025
Set in 1838, the film revolves around a young woman who has been haunted by a mysterious demon as he would make his presence known after meeting her husband who traveled from Wisborg, Germany to the Carpathian Mountains over a real estate deal. It is a film that does follow many of the schematics told in previous adaptations of the story that is based on Bram Stoker’s novel about a vampire yet Robert Eggers creates a story that is more about a young woman’s trauma and the anguish she deals with about herself and her own sexual repression that she is dealing with in a society that doesn’t allow women to be more expressive. Even as they must deal with something darker that is lurking and threatening the happiness that they have gained through marriage or even family. Eggers’ screenplay is straightforward in its narrative though it opens with a young Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) being hypnotized by a mysterious figure as it would be a nightmare that she would deal with for much of her life as she had just gotten married to the real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).
Sent by his boss in Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to the Carpathian Mountains, Thomas travels while Ellen stays with Thomas’ friend Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna (Emma Corrin). Thomas would travel further despite warnings from Romani people and locals living near Transylvania to not enter the castle that is inhabited by the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) as he is a figure that is monstrous with a face that that is odd. His intention in buying a house in Wisborg is to wreak havoc and bring a plague until he sees a picture of Ellen where he hopes to seduce her and have her become his companion. Even as he would eventually meet Ellen upon his own arrival where he makes her an offer to spare those she cares about as well as the town if she gives herself to him. Her mysterious behavior would get the attention of Dr. Wilhem Sievers (Ralph Ineson) who at first thinks Ellen is going through some form of hysteria where he later turns to his mentor in the eccentric occult expert in Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) who knows what is happening to Ellen.
Eggers’ direction is stylish in not just paying tribute to the previous adaptations but also in maintaining a tone that is unsettling as well as intense in its physicality. Shot on location in the Czech Republic with interiors shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague and a few exteriors of the Corvin Castle in Romania. Eggers creates a film that plays into a period before the emergence of the industrial age as people still believed in myths and superstitions though the idea of a plague has been long in the past. Eggers’ usage of wide and medium shots does not just capture the scope of the environment that the characters encounter but also the atmosphere of a room in a castle or at a house where Eggers adds a lot of personality to these environments. Eggers’ direction also emphasizes on close-ups as it plays into Ellen’s own spasms and seizures that she would endure including the film’s opening scene where she prays for the horror to end.
Eggers’ direction also plays into the severity of Count Orlok’s cruelty as the scene where Thomas explores the castle and finds his coffin as it is among the scariest scenes in the film. There are also some surreal moments that are nightmarish as it relates to Ellen’s own behavior where there is a lot of physicality involved as it is a key element in the film’s second act. Upon Thomas’ return in the film’s third act, there is this sense of dread that looms with the sight of rats roaming around the town bringing on this plague. The violence becomes more severe with characters going mad, yet it is Ellen who becomes sane as she realizes what she must do with Professor Von Franz who also understands what must be done. It has Ellen taking control of what must be done to Count Orlok as well as unleashing a side of herself that she has been repressing. Overall, Eggers crafts a gripping yet evocative film about a woman being haunted by a mysterious vampire.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of blue and low-key lights for some of the nighttime exterior scenes along with a grey-like look for some of the daytime exteriors and the usage of fire as available light as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing in using rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into the suspense as well as know when to allow shots to linger for an amount of time to build up the suspense. Production designer Craig Lathrop, along with set decorator Beatrice Brentnerova plus senior art director Robert Cowper and supervising art director Paul Ghirardani, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of Count Orlok’s castle as well as the homes of the Hardings and the small apartment that Professor Von Franz lives in. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes in the design of the suits that the men wear from the refined look of Friedrich to the ragged look of Professor Von Franz while the dresses that the women wear are also stylish to the period as it would express the personalities of both Ellen and Anna Harding.
Makeup designer Traci Loader, along with special effects makeup supervisor Sacha Carter and prosthetics makeup effects designer David White, does tremendous work with the makeup with the special effects makeup work being a major highlight in the look of Count Orlok. Special effects supervisors Pavel Sagner and Jiri Vater, along with visual effects supervisor Angela Barson, do terrific work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects for some of the scenes involving Orlok as well as a scene that is a homage to the 1922 film by Murnau when Orlok uses his shadow to wreak havoc on Wisborg. Sound designer Damian Volpe does superb work with sound in creating an atmosphere into the locations with the usage of natural sound and textures to help build up the sense of horror and suspense. The film’s music by Robin Carolan is incredible for its bombastic orchestral score that is filled with soaring themes in its usage of strings and percussions along with some offbeat folk-based instruments to add to the sense of folklore. Even with pieces that play into the atmosphere of a scene as well as help build up suspense and terror as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Adele Hesova and Milena Konstantinova as the Hardings’ daughters with Ella Bernstein and Meredith Diggs providing the voices for the girls, Claudiu Trandafir as the innkeeper who lives near Transylvania, Karel Dobry as a ship captain, Liana Navrot as an Orthodox nun, Mihai Verbintschi as an Orthodox priest, and Stacy Thunes as a head nurse who helps run the hospital with Dr. Sievers. Simon McBurney is superb as Herr Knock as an estate firm broker boss who sends Thomas to Transylvania as well as being a disciple of Count Orlok where he has this crazed energy as this unhinged man that is willing to do anything for his master. Ralph Ineson is fantastic as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers as a doctor who is asked to treat Ellen where he is baffled by what is happening to her while also dealing with a plague where he realizes this is beyond his own expertise.
Emma Corrin is excellent as Anna Harding as Friedrich’s pregnant wife who expresses concern for Ellen’s illness while also sympathetic towards her where she does what she can to be her friend. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is brilliant as Friedrich Harding as a rich friend of Thomas who invites Ellen to stay at his home where he is baffled by what is happening to Ellen as he later becomes frustrated with Professor Von Franz’s theories and methods. Willem Dafoe is incredible as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz as an occult expert who is Dr. Sievers’ mentor as he makes a discovery of what is happening to Ellen with theories about the plague where Dafoe has this air of eccentricity to his performance but also a man who has a better understanding of evil. Nicholas Hoult is remarkable as Ellen’s husband Thomas Hutter as a real estate agent who is sent by Herr Knock to Transylvania where he deals with his encounter with Count Orlok as well as the things he had seen where he is desperate to save Ellen and be there for her.
Bill Skarsgard is great as Count Orlok as this monstrous vampire who has a large figure and a mustache as he is this eerie creature that wants to wreak havoc on Wisborg as well as have Ellen as his companion where Skarsgard uses a low register in his voice and a physicality to play into the terror that he brings as it is a career-defining performance for Skarsgard. Finally, there’s Lily-Rose Depp in a phenomenal break-out performance as Ellen Hutter as this young woman haunted by her own encounter with a demon as she copes with Thomas being away as well as some unexpected behaviors to emerge. Depp brings a physicality and anguish to her performance that is scary in the way she gets possessed as well as scenes where she is aware of what Ellen must do to stop Count Orlok as it is a true revelatory performance from Depp.
Nosferatu is a tremendous film by Robert Eggers that features great leading performances from Bill Skarsgard and Lily-Rose Depp. Along with its supporting cast, ravishing visuals, study of fear and repression, and an intense music score. It is a horror film that doesn’t just pay tribute to its past adaptations but also find new ways to tell an old story and maintain its fear. Even as it explores the horrors of within with its emphasis on what women deal with in those times and how they had to confront that horror. In the end, Nosferatu is an outstanding film by Robert Eggers.
Related: Nosferatu (1922 film) - Nosferatu, the Vampyre - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Lighthouse (2019 film) - The Northman
© thevoid99 2025
The film revolves a young knight who confronts a mysterious figure known as the Green Knight as the young knight would go on a quest one year later as he would take part in an arduous journey filled with challenges and surrealistic moments. It is a film that explores a young man who is the nephew of King Arthur as he accept the challenge of the Green Knight during a Christmas banquet as Sir Gawain becomes a knight yet knows he has a duty to fulfill. David Lowery’s screenplay is largely straightforward narratively yet it takes on an episodic approach as it play into Gawain’s own journey and his desire to win the acceptance of his uncle though the creation of the Green Knight came from his own mother (Sarita Choudhury) who hopes that her son will pass this challenge and become king one day.
Much of the film’s first act is about Gawain confronting the Green Knight, dealing with his fame in the course of a year, and the duty he has to fulfill while he is also devoted to a commoner in Essel (Alicia Vikander) who gives Gawain a token for his journey as does his mother in a girdle that would protect him. The second act is about the journey north where Gawain doesn’t just contend with the land around him but also various people such as a scavenger (Barry Keoghan), a mysterious young lady (Erin Kellyman), and others including a lord (Joel Edgerton) and his wife (Alicia Vikander). Gawain is also accompanied by a fox in that journey where it does play into his development as a young man seeking to prove himself but also contend the idea if he’s worthy or not to be his uncle’s right-hand man.
Lowery’s direction is definitely stylish as it doesn’t play into the rules expected in a fantasy film set in medieval times but rather something more grounded and grimy in its presentation. Shot largely on location in landscapes in Ireland, the film does use the locations as a character as this physical challenge that also has these elements of surrealism that Gawain would encounter. Lowery’s usage of the wide and medium shots play up into the scope of these locations including some of the scenes in the castle as it is set largely in dreary conditions with very few set in places that are beautiful. Lowery’s usage of tracking shots also play into some of the sense of adventure Gawain occurs but also in scenes that showcases his youthfulness early in the film but also in moments that are also quite striking at times. Notably in scenes at the castle as there is a sense of beauty to the way the exterior settings lights up the interior including the scene of the Green Knight’s arrival. Lowery’s usage of close-ups play into some of the sense of terror and emotions that Gawain and some of the people he meets as it adds to this journey he would encounter as some relate to death while others relate to desires.
Lowery’s approach to surrealism isn’t just in the form of the fox and this young woman that Gawain encounters in the second act but also in scenes that include a horde of giants and other events that play into Gawain’s own journey. Even as Lowery serves as his own editor where he uses a bit of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to add to the film’s suspense and drama. There are also scenes where Lowery would circle a certain location as it play into Gawain’s fate along with these moments in the film’s third act where he would finally meet the Green Knight. It is a climax that is about bravery but also everything Gawain learned in his journey to face this mysterious being who is actually more human than Gawain realizes. It is followed by a sequence that is surreal as it play into Gawain’s own decisions and attachments toward ordinary things but also its outcome. Overall, Lowery crafts a rapturous and evocative film about a young knight going on a quest to confront a mysterious figure one year after their first confrontation.
Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of filters to add a mood to a few bits of the film including its third act as well as its emphasis on natural lighting to play up the dreary landscapes that Gawain would encounter. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorator Jenny Oman plus art directors Christine McDonagh and David Pink, does amazing work with the look of the interiors at the castle as well as the home of the lord and lady and some of the design of the places that Gawain goes to including the Green Knight’s chapel. Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska does excellent work with the ragged clothes that Gawain wears as well as the design of the crowns the king and queen wear and the gorgeous blue dress the lady wears. Hair designer Eileen Buggy and makeup/prosthetics designer Audrey Doyle do fantastic work with not just the hairstyle of the lady as well as Essel but also the look of the Green Knight.
Special effects supervisor Paul Byrne and visual effects supervisors Kev Cahill do incredible work with some of the effects of the Green Knight but also in the design of the fox that follows Gawain and other aspects of the film that add to its surreal tone. Sound designer Johnny Marshall and co sound-editors Christopher Barnett do superb work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film as it help play into the atmosphere of the location as well as the way nature sounds and other elements that add to the suspense including sparse sounds of objects in the film. The film’s music by Daniel Hart is phenomenal as its usage of dissonant folk and vocal choirs add to the film’s surrealistic presentation as well as some of its suspense as well as its usage of strings and woodwinds as the music soundtrack include these traditional folk pieces that add to the journey that Gawain embarks on.
The casting by Louise Kiely is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from the trio of Nita Mishra, Tara McDonagh, and Atheena Frizzell as Gawain’s sisters who assist their mother in forms of witchcraft, Emmet O’Brien as the magician Merlin, Helena Browne as a blind woman that lives at the home of the lord and lady, and Megan Tiernan as a woman that Gawain would meet late in the film. Barry Keoghan is terrific in his small role as a scavenger that would harass Gawain on his quest while Erin Kellyman is superb in her small role as a mysterious young woman Gawain meets at an abandoned house. Kate Dickie and Sean Harris are fantastic in their small roles as Queen Guinevere and King Arthur with the former being a figure that is uneasy about the task Gawain is to endure while is forced to read the Green Knight’s letter in a scene while Harris’ role as the latter is a different take on King Arthur as a man giving Gawain advice on what he is going to face but also remind him that the quest is really a test.
Sarita Choudhury is excellent as Gawain’s mother as a variation of Morgana Le Fay as a woman who hopes for great promises for her son while is also is hoping her son would be able to pass the test against the man she created. Joel Edgerton is brilliant as the Lord as a man who offers Gawain shelter and rest while is aware of what Gawain is to face as he wants something of Gawain in return as it’s a low-key yet charming performance from Edgerton. Ralph Ineson is amazing as the titular character as this mysterious figure who is eager to be challenged in a game of honor as he’s also someone that may be intimidating but also understanding of what is at stake.
Alicia Vikander is incredible in a dual role as Essel and the lady as she is seen in a pixie-cut and an ordinary look for the former as someone that grounds Gawain and offers him hope while Vikander’s role in the latter is one of an enchanting seductress that is this embodiment of temptation who tests Gawain’s sense of morals and values. Finally, there’s Dev Patel in a phenomenal performance as Sir Gawain as a young knight who is eager to prove to himself that he is worthy to be his uncle’s right-hand man as he endures many challenges where Patel maintains that air of determination and hardened revelations as someone that is trying to understand his quest but also what he has to do as it is a career-defining performance for Patel.
The Green Knight is a sensational film from David Lowery that features a phenomenal leading performance from Dev Patel. Along with its ensemble cast, surrealistic presentation, ravishing visuals, eerie sound design, and a chilling music score from Daniel Hart. It is a fantasy film that breaks away from convention to focus on a man’s test of will as well as dealing with himself and revelations about whether he’s up to the task or not to face this mysterious and imposing figure. In the end, The Green Knight is a tremendous film from David Lowery.
David Lowery Films: Ain't Them Bodies Saints - (Pete’s Dragon (2016 film)) – (A Ghost Story) – (The Old Man & the Gun) – (The Year of Everlasting Storm) – (Peter Pan & Wendy)
© thevoid99 2021
Written and directed by Robert Eggers, The VVitch (A New-England Folktale) is the story of a family whose newborn son has suddenly disappeared as they deal with their surroundings as well as each other. The film is set during the early 17th Century in Colonial America where a family deal with their own fears in the middle of the woods. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, and Kate Dickie. The VVitch is an evocative yet eerie film from Robert Eggers.
Set in the 17th Century in New England, the film follows a Puritan family, who had been banished from a plantation over disagreements about faith, who move into a remote land near the woods where a series of strange events happen following the disappearance of the family’s newborn son. It’s a film that play into a family that is devoted to their faith and trying to create a farm in the land they live in as things begin to unravel by these mysterious events. Robert Eggers’ screenplay doesn’t just follow the life of this family but also the slow unraveling where they would accuse of each other of supposed witchcraft with the young woman Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) being the major suspect despite the fact that her father William (Ralph Ineson) and younger brother Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) believe she isn’t a witch. Even though Thomasin was with the baby Samuel (Axtun Henry Dub and Athan Conrad Dube) the moment he disappeared.
She still gets blamed for what happened from her mother Katherine (Kate Dickie) while she becomes more uneasy when her twin siblings Mercy and Jonas (Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson, respectively) singing songs about a mysterious being called Black Phillip. During the course of the story, stranger things intensify as does the tension between the family members with Thomasin being the suspect as she had teased Mercy earlier claiming she’s a witch which wasn’t true. These incidents would force William to do something as Thomasin would see that something is off as she notices Mercy and Jonah acting suspiciously around this black goat.
Eggers’ direction is very entrancing for the way it creates a film that is about atmosphere and location. Shot on location in Kiosk, Ontario in Canada, the film maintains this look that is very grey and dreary with one shot of blue sky is only seen in the film. While Eggers would use some wide shots to get a scope of the locations and creating some unique compositions of the actors in their surroundings including scenes at the wood. Much of Eggers’ direction has him using some close-ups and medium shots as it play into the tension within the family as well as the suspense and drama that would loom throughout. Notably during the film’s second act where Thomasin and Caleb go into the woods where the latter makes a very eerie discovery that would impact everything.
There aren’t any big moments of violence but there is still an intensity that is fierce in the drama as it relates to the family being at odds with one another. Especially as it relates to witchcraft and Thomasin being the major suspect where it is also clear she is becoming a woman and there were plans of sending her away to help another family. This revelation only increases the tension between Thomasin and her mother where things eventually unravel prompting Thomasin to wonder if there is some evil spirit lurking around in the woods. Overall, Eggers creates a rapturous yet unsettling film about a family dealing with evil spirits lurking in the woods.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting as many of the nighttime interiors were shot with lit candles as well as other elements to create something atmospheric and eerie. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as it does have bits of style in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorator Mary Kirkland plus art directors Derek Connell and Andrea Kristof, does fantastic work with the look of the farm and the interior of the home that the family live in as well as the design of a mysterious home in the woods.
Costume designer Linda Muir does amazing work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times with its bonnets for the women and some of the clothes that the men wore in those times. Visual effects supervisor Geoff D.E. Scott does nice work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly bits of set dressing as well as a scene during the film’s third act. Sound designer Adam Stein and sound editor Mark Gingras do superb work with the film’s sound in creating that eerie atmosphere for some of the scenes in the woods that would play into the horror as it’s one of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Mark Korven is incredible for its disconcerting and gripping music score with its usage of orchestral strings, choir arrangements, and other instruments that help play into the suspense and drama.
The casting by John Buchan, Kharmel Cochrane, and Jason Knight is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah Stephens as a mysterious young woman in the woods, Bathsheba Garnett as a mysterious old woman in the woods, Axtun Henry Dube and Athan Conrad Dube as the baby Samuel, and Julian Richings as the plantation governor who would cast William and the family out of the plantation over an argument he has with William. Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson are fantastic in their respective roles as the twin siblings Mercy and Jonas as two young kids who have been singing weird songs and spend time with a black mountain goat that has made Thomasin very uneasy. Harvey Scrimshaw is excellent as Caleb as a young boy who knows something is going on in the woods as he tries to find out while knowing that it’s probably the cause of all of the tension within the family.
Kate Dickie is brilliant as Katherine as the mother of the children who seems to have a dislike towards her own daughter as she becomes stricken with grief as it’s an intense and chilling performance from Dickie. Ralph Ineson is amazing as William as family patriarch who put his family into an uncertain situation as he tries to maintain his sense of faith while wondering if he had made the right decision. Finally, there’s Anya Taylor-Joy in a phenomenal performance as Thomasin as a young woman who is dealing with not just losing her baby brother but also the chaos that would emerge as it’s a very intense and eerie performance of a young woman finding herself becoming a suspect for all of the bad things that is happening as she struggles with everything happening around her.
The VVitch is a tremendous film from Robert Eggers. Featuring a great cast, a riveting story, gorgeous visuals, eerie sound design, and an unsettling score. The film is definitely a horror film that doesn’t play by the rules while showcasing what happens when the ideas of faith and family is being tested by something unknown and possibly evil. In the end, The VVitch is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The Lighthouse - The Northman - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
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