Nosferatu

I can already hear people saying that Eggers has grown too comfortable in his style and too reliant on his recurring cast. And by doing so, they overshadow the frightfully genuine performances of that cast (new and old), and Egger's style which lifts them up. Eggers creates a world of shadow in which Orlok's presence is heavily felt, a light or extreme vignette allows the beast to creep in from any part of the frame. Nosferatu's grounded approach with respect to its leads allows the audience to be subject to the same terror as the characters, with Orlok being inescapable by any human means; as he is something beyond this realm, he is a creature which devours Ellen's darkest desires and cravings. She says herself that he is her shame manifest. Nosferatu's looming theme of purity is one that makes the film universal, and greatly contributes to making it just as, if not more effective than it was over a hundred years later in 1922.