WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Nosferatu (2024).

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is arguably the most important and well-known horror text in modern history. Originally published in 1897, this epistolary novel follows a young solicitor and his wife as they’re attacked by an ancient vampire attempting to move from his isolated castle to the bustling UK. Stoker’s gothic story was itself adapted from centuries of folklore describing a night-dwelling beast who seduces then sucks the blood of innocent victims. Twenty-five years after publication, F.W. Murnau brought Stoker’s novel to the screen in the 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Set in 1838, this loose and unauthorized retelling chronicles a similar vampiric plague in the fictional town of Wisborg, Germany. More than a century later, Robert Eggers tackles these two classic texts while adding his particular brand of feminist mysticism. Rather than a helpless victim corrupted by darkness, his version of the vampire’s bride is a sensitive heroine with transcendental talents who gives her life to vanquish the bloodthirsty beast. 

Both Dracula and Nosferatu center a damsel in distress with varying levels of agency. Stoker’s Mina Harker is a young and dutiful wife sent to stay with a wealthy friend named Lucy while her husband Jonathan travels to the castle of a Transylvanian nobleman called Count Dracula. Revealed to be an ancient vampire, Dracula follows Mina to the seaside town of Whitby and begins transforming Lucy into a creature of the night. While she does have some agency, Mina’s life revolves around caring for others. A former teacher’s assistant, the idealistic young woman has given up her own career and learned to type with plans of serving as secretary for her husband’s ambitions. Stoker’s Mina is a traditional woman of the time, valued for her purity and content to dedicate her time and energy to her husband.

Her 1922 counterpart has even less humanity. Ellen (Greta Schröder) is the new wife of Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) who spends her time playing with kittens and mourning the death of freshly cut flowers. She’s devastated when her husband embarks on a business trip to the castle of Count Orlok and whiles away the hours staring at the sea. Like Mina, the corruption of this virtuous woman becomes the vampire’s true threat and the men in her life will do anything to prevent this offensive defilement. Thus both wives become extensions of their husbands rather than characters themselves. They are punished for simply existing in the orbit of these wreckless men and fall into the undead creature’s sights by mistake.

Unlike Murnau’s original ingénue, Eggers’ Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) is a complex character unto herself. Born with second sight, she has established a psychic connection with the ancient Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) who appears as a spectre in the open window of her childhood bedroom. Describing her mysterious powers, she remembers accurately predicting the contents of her Christmas presents and foreseeing her mother’s untimely death. Though born into relative privilege, Ellen knows the hell that would befall her should anyone discover her unique talents and call her a witch. She expresses a vague fear of being sent to a sanitarium and recalls her father’s shame and scorn after discovering his daughter in the midst of a mystical trance. Longing for connection, she reaches out to the darkness and catches the attention of Nosferatu. 

This subtle shift in origin presents Ellen as the more powerful character. Though Orlok is a dreadful beast, his evil did not spark her supernatural abilities and they do not revolve solely around him. Over the years this dark being has haunted her dreams, occasionally taking control of her body to cause terrible outbursts and seizures, but she has found a way to resist his attacks. Her marriage to the virtuous Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) has brightened her days and given her the strength to pull away from the vampire’s grip. Unfortunately, it seems that Orlok has discovered their union and orchestrated a way to bring Thomas to his castle. Not only will a trip to the Carpathian Mountains place him in mortal danger, Ellen fears this contact will plunge her back into Orlok’s otherworldly realm. Rather than a byproduct of a business deal gone horrifically wrong, Eggers’ Ellen lies at the heart of the horror.

A work of post-Enlightenment fiction, Dracula features a male fixation with innovation and technology. As Lucy’s life hangs in the balance, a doctor named Abraham Van Helsing arrives to perform a dazzling blood transfusion designed to save her from the undead curse. This academic warrior has become known throughout the literary world as a vampire hunter skilled at using new technology to battle centuries-old folklore. Murnau’s variant is Professor Bulwer (John Gottowt), a Swiss Paracelsian who specializes in parasitic plants and demonstrates the predatory nature of phantom-like organisms. Both credentialled men take charge of the paranormal mission and use scientific knowledge to defeat an occult figure, dismissing ancient traditions as regressive barbarism. 

Eggers’ Swiss doctor, Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), has a more charitable view of the natural world. Though still a Paracelsian, he’s been ejected from the medical community for studying occult practices and naturopathy. By opening himself up to the feminized wisdom of ages past and embracing the more mystical side of the world, he’s able to pinpoint the monster’s weakness and find a way to defeat him. In Ellen, he recognizes a kindred spirit and sees her disturbing trances as a method for communicating with the forces that plague the city rather than the demented ravings of a madwoman. By embracing her telepathic powers, he devises a plan to distract the foolhardy Thomas and battle Count Orlok on the demon’s own terms.  

Other than Franz, the men of Eggers’ story prove to be quite ineffective. Should Thomas heed his wife’s warnings about this ill-advised trip, Orlok’s plague would never befall their family or the city at large. But the young house agent is consumed with earning a respectable position in his employer’s firm. He not only ignores his wife’s pleas to stay, but presses on in spite of grave local legends about the vampire’s castle. Thomas claims a desire to provide for Ellen and give her the finer things in life, likely idolizing his wealthy former schoolmate Friedrich (Aaron Tayloe-Johnson). Seeing the strength of his friend’s marriage to Anna (Emma Corrin), Thomas believes he can replicate it through financial stability. He’s also in debt to the prosperous shipbuilder and longs to see himself as above taking charity. Ellen insists she only wants her husband to stay and delivers dire warnings about the horrors to come. But Thomas ignores her strenuous pleas and sends her to stay with Friedrich and Anna, promising to return after securing his fortune.

For his part, Friedrich provides Ellen with a warm and loving home, but never fails to mention his own generosity. He calls on Dr. Sievers (Ralph Ineson) to treat her mysterious malady, but endorses controlling treatment that leaves her drugged and tied to the bed to prevent her seizures from damaging his property. Friedrich is a loving husband and father but clearly views women as subservient. When Ellen dares to have an honest conversation about the dark curse headed their way, he viciously chides her for speaking above her station and insists she adopt manners when addressing a man of his importance. Despite his outward strength, Friedrich falls victim to Orlok’s spell and sleeps through the massacre of his children and wife. Their deaths tear the fragile man apart and he sneaks into the crypt to lay with Anna’s body. For all his wealth and bluster, Friedrich cannot stop the plague from destroying his family and crumbles under the weight of his own emotion. 

Rather than a dehumanized female prize or leverage in a sinister struggle for power, Eggers allows Ellen to be a complete human being. Even in the grips of his depravity, Orlok needs her willing consent to consummate their unholy union. No longer an extension of her husband’s house and a tangible measurement of his injury, Ellen is the key to Orlok’s undoing. The hideous Count gives her three nights to renounce her love for Thomas and return to their dark compact, threatening her loved ones if she will not agree. Desperate to save Thomas, Ellen conspires with Franz to offer herself to the beast then distract him with her blood until first morning’s light. 

Both versions of this conclusion require a female sacrifice, but Eggers gives his heroine agency and empowerment. In a book she’s been forbidden to read, Murnau’s Ellen learns that it must be “a maiden wholly without sin” who can defeat the monster. By contrast, Eggers’ Ellen is “a pure-hearted woman,” leaving important space for her humanity. She’s allowed to transcend the unrealistic ideals for Victorian women and sacrifice herself regardless of the fact that she is not perfect. Questioning her own virtue, Ellen asks Franz, “if evil comes from within or beyond,” implying feelings of guilt and responsibility for Orlok’s attack. However, Franz assures her that whether man or woman, we all have darkness lurking in the recesses of our hearts. It’s only by confronting our sins and imperfections that we can find the strength to drive them out and combat evil from a place of understanding. 

In fact it’s because of Ellen’s rare gift that she is able to become the city’s ultimate savior. The brave woman calls out to Orlok and invites him into her bedchamber where she willingly agrees to be his dark bride. Consumed with feeding, he forgets to return to his ornate sarcophagus. As the sun rises, Orlok lifts his head, but Ellen issues a dreadful invitation. “More,” she whispers, directing the monster back to her breast where he continues draining her life’s blood. This simple addition implies choice and empowerment while elevating the character to a position of strength. Whereas Murnau’s Ellen simply succumbs to the vampire’s attack, Eggers’ heroine has willingly given her life to save the man she loves and a city plagued with the vampire’s curse. But not because she is without sin. In fact, it’s because she has command of witchlike powers that she is able to defeat this powerful entity. Eggers’ Ellen is not vilified for her connection to darkness, but becomes a hero because of her supernatural skill. 

We’re introduced to the doomed young woman as she prays for absolution, mirroring a moment from the director’s debut film The Witch. This dark story follows another young woman tempted by darkness who ultimately finds salvation by rejecting the shackles of a patriarchal world. Eggars concludes his fourth film with a grim depiction of victorious death. Lying underneath Count Orlok’s bleeding corpse, Ellen’s ruined body is honored by a scattering of lilacs. This image recalls Murnau’s introduction to his arguably reductive character. When Hutter presents his young wife with a bouquet of flowers, she’s shocked that the delicate blossoms will die as a result of being clipped from the earth. A relic of its time, Murnau’s film gives Ellen little more humanity than the flowers she holds. Valued only for her purity, she is a beautiful specimen who dies as a symbol of feminine grace. Eggers’ Ellen is a multifaceted woman, likely a witch, who is only made stronger because of her flaws.

The post How ‘Nosferatu’ Became a Feminist Retelling of a Horror Classic appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It was another bustling, not to mention fruitful, year for horror. And because the amount of new horror releases is staggering, especially when looking beyond the popular and commercial side, it is very understandable if a lot of titles flew under radars.

So, like previous years, the objective of this end-of-year list is to bring attention to just ten of those overlooked, underrated, and less-known newer horrors that can be considered hidden gems of 2024.

Dead Teenagers

Pictured: Jordan Myers and Chris Hahn in Dead Teenagers.

Quinn Armstrong, who gave us the dark comedy Survival Skills, is behind the Fresh Hell Presents trilogy. This set of self-contained horrors began with the conversion therapy haunter The Exorcism of Saint Patrick, then tackled neo-Nazis and werewolves in Wolves Against the World. The final installment, Dead Teenagers, sounds the most conventional of the batch; young friends are picked off by a mysterious killer. Soon enough, though, the plot takes a significant turn.

Indeed, Dead Teenagers offers more meta-horror, but before eyes start to roll, Armstrong breathes some badly needed new life into this particular genre space that hit max occupancy years ago. Does everything work here? No, not quite; the last act hits a snag or two. Even so, the ambition here is more successful than not.

#MissingCouple

Pictured: A shadowy entity watches someone sleeping in #MissingCouple.

Jacques Edeline and Oliver Mauldin‘s #MissingCouple starts off with Austin Jenkins and Janna Jenkins‘ characters giving up their “vanlife” to restore an old and isolated farmhouse in rural Mississippi. Immediately the found-footage movie then reveals the two have since disappeared, and a friend and fellow vlogger is now searching for them. His efforts are finally rewarded with terror as he also becomes stalked by a threatening presence on the farm.

As a marketing stunt, the people behind #MissingCouple tried to convince the internet that Austin and Janna, a real couple, had disappeared. Of course, most everyone is too cynical to believe that sort of ploy nowadays. Be that as it may, the movie has its tense moments and is even a tad cunning in how the story is framed.

Dead Whisper

Pictured: Samuel Dunning in Dead Whisper.

Your enjoyment of Conor Soucy‘s bleakly shot debut feature Dead Whisper will depend on how you feel about slow burns and abstract dread. This nightmarish tale of grief doesn’t yield easy thrills or answers, however, it does hit the spot for ambient unease and cerebral visuals.

A workable comparison for Dead Whisper is BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas. By that I mean this movie is more conceptual and gloomy than straightforward, but Soucy admirably commits to style, even if that dedication sometimes comes at the expense of coherency.

Die Alone

Pictured: Carrie-Anne Moss and Douglas Smith in Die Alone.

On the surface, Lowell Dean‘s Die Alone looks to be another rehash of recent post-apocalyptic horrors; here Carrie-Anne Moss fights off plant-based, human-zombie hybrids in the aftermath of a global catastrophe. However, there is more to her character than first let on, and much like A Quiet Place: Day One, this movie zooms in on the emotional element of survival rather than just the action.

When it seems like Die Alone is pinching too many tropes from its contemporaries, a startling turn in the story smooths everything out, including the rough edges.

Birder

Pictured: Michael Emery in Birder.

While Birder is billed as an erotic thriller, it has enough grisly parts to satisfy more permissive horror fans. Michael Emery provides Nate Dushku‘s feature debut a captivating lead performance; he plays the murderous culture-chameleon who infiltrates a close group of queer nudists.

The killer’s identity is known from the very start, so whodunit and slasher fans should readjust their expectations or simply look elsewhere. That being said, Dushku doesn’t take the killing aspect lightly, seeing as Emery’s character is as brutal as he is alluring. If you’re seeking a movie like Stranger by the Lake except with a higher body count, then keep an eye out for Birder.

Slay

Pictured: The cast of Slay.

This darling and scrappy Tubi Original, one directed by Jem Garrard, is a pleasure from start to finish. Combining drag culture with humor and vampires sounds chancy at first, but any wariness quickly fades once the fangs comes out. It’s a riot watching these queens duke it out with barflies-turned-bloodsuckers.

As per Bloody Disgusting’s beaming spotlight on Slay: “Real care has been taken in every aspect, from script to filming. The characters feel like real people, and the performances are honest, pulsating with immense heart.” High but warranted praise.

Abruptio

Pictured: The character Les Hackel in Abruptio.

Anyone with concerns about Abruptio turning out to be a plotless puppet comedy can rest easy, because Evan Marlowe‘s movie is no feature-long gimmick. The life-sized puppetry is both impressive and unsettling, but once past all that, there is an intriguing story about a man (voiced by James Marsters) who obeys a series of escalating demands, or else the bomb implanted in his neck will explode. That’s only the beginning, seeing as there is a larger force at work behind the curtain.

Abruptio is a must-see mix of horror, noir and science fiction. The artistry of this production, which has been in the works since 2015, is a sight to behold. And the talent is stacked as well; the voice cast includes Jordan Peele, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Christopher McDonald and Hana Mae Lee. There’s really nothing like this movie in the horror genre right now.

Year 10

Pictured: Toby Goodger in Year 10.

Benjamin Goodger‘s Year 10 takes the be-silent-or-die approach of A Quiet Place and Azrael to the next logical step by having zero spoken dialogue. Absolutely none. In this new cinematic case of global catastrophe, the world has come to near stillness thanks to an unknown cause, and the survivors have turned to cannibalism after “the living ate the dead.” As if that’s not bad enough, there are also feral Irish wolfhounds running around in packs.

Year 10 stars the director’s brother, Toby Goodger, who normally would be working behind the camera. In this scenic and harrowing genre mashup, though, the lead — whose fallible character seeks medicine for his sick loved one and vengeance for his slain father — delivers an unassuming performance. Ultimately, the technical merits of the movie win out when the basic concept feels worn out.

All You Need Is Death

Pictured: Olwen Fouéré in All You Need is Death.

For something quite unlike anything else coming out in the current horror scene, Paul Duane‘s All You Need is Death is the kind of folk-horror movie that actually feels like it’s casting a spell on its viewers. Specific yet ambiguous, the Irish director’s feature debut is so hauntingly told and grimly shot that it’s almost begging you not to watch.

On top of a novel concept and the generally eldritch quality, All You Need Is Death also boasts a terrific cast; the characters engage with the story’s strangeness so believably here. All around, just a unique movie.

Lowlifes

Pictured: Amanda Fix in Lowlifes.

Earlier in the year, Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver‘s Lowlifes dropped on Tubi without any big hype or coverage, but over time, it has developed a sizable following. Maybe one that defies its hidden gem status? Nevertheless, the movie is deserving of its kudos. Good word of mouth has done wonders to raise this indie horror’s profile.

While it’s best to go into Lowlifes with a blank slate, just know this clever meeting of colorful characters, wit, and violence is truly one of the best horror surprises of 2024.

The post Best of 2024: 10 Hidden Horror Gems You Might’ve Missed appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A wild and crazy spiritual sequel to the 1980s cult horror classic directed this time by Ryan Kruger (Fried Barry), Street Trash is now streaming exclusively on SCREAMBOX!

This SCREAMBOX Original splatterfest is a 35mm reboot of the ’80s cult classic following a group of homeless misfits in their fight for survival against an extermination plot.

Additionally, the original Street Trash (1987) can also be streamed on SCREAMBOX.

In the new movie, “In the year 2050, global economic turmoil has destroyed the middle class in Cape Town, South Africa, which is now divided between the ultra-rich and the displaced. Ronald and a group of fellow houseless friends uncover a plot by the local government to ‘wash away’ the houseless population with a sinister chemical agent called ‘V.’ Now, they must risk everything to expose the truth and resist a society that’s determined to erase them.”

Kruger also stars alongside Sean Cameron Michael, Donna Cormack-Thomson, Joe Vaz, Lloyd Martinez Newkirk, Shuraigh Meyer, Gary Green, and Warrick Grier.

Kruger co-wrote the film for Bloody Disgusting & Cineverse with James C. Williamson (Fried Barry), based on the original Street Trash movie by Roy Frumkes & Jim Muro.

Shot entirely on 35mm, the film is produced by Justin Martell and Matt Manjourides of US-based studio Not the Funeral Home (“The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs”), with original Street Trash producer Roy Frumkes and director Jim Muro, along with Bad Dragon and genre film restoration outfit Vinegar Syndrome (New York Ninja), all serving as Executive Producers. Chris McGurk, Brandon Hill, Brad Miska, and Yolanda Macias Executive Produce for Cineverse.

The 1987 cult classic Street Trash was a darkly comedic and gritty horror film that has earned a dedicated following over the years due to its distinct style and unapologetically bizarre approach to storytelling. Directed by J. Michael Muro, the movie was set in the decaying and squalid streets of Brooklyn, New York as it delves into the lives of various eccentric characters, each struggling to survive in their harsh and unforgiving environment.

The post Melt the Rich: New ‘Street Trash’ Movie Now Streaming on SCREAMBOX! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.