Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | June 29, 2026
I hit an important milestone in the 36th year of my life (maybe the 35th), when I realized that a movie could be good, but just not for me. I’m going to call that growth! For too long, I would go out of my way to try to poke holes in films I did not enjoy, but a lot of other people did. Instead, I’ve realized that something can just… not be for me. The most recent example of that was Obsession, a movie that did not sit well with me, but whose quality I could not deny. Last year, that film, for me, was Nosferatu.
In both instances, I was wildly excited to see the movie. I’d seen one trailer for each and decided to hide myself from any new ones (if I’m sitting in a theater and a trailer comes on that I do not want to see, I will put in my headphones and close my eyes, even if I’m with someone). When I finally got to see Nosferatu in theaters, I was amazed by its sets, costumes, and performances. Count Orlock filled me with great unease, but so did the whole film. It just left me feeling… gross.
Still, I could not deny that it was a good film. It looked incredible, but I think the subject matter was something that made me uncomfortable in a way that was not enjoyable. I’m all for a horror film making me squirm or challenge me, but Nosferatu was one that I realized, as soon as it ended, that I would not need to see again. But that certainly doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see another Robert Eggers film, and I can confirm upon seeing the trailer for WERWULF that I will be there (albeit with slight hesitation).
Eggers’ take on the classic monster takes place in 13th-century England, staying in line with his penchant for period pieces. The new trailer shows stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe, who has no hyphen in his name. Like Nosferatu, the film is beautifully and hauntingly shot, just without the sprawling cityscapes and castle of his last film. Here, we see countryside, caves, campfires, and darkness. It looks intense.
Having someone like Eggers still making movies is super exciting, even if the most recent one wasn’t in my wheelhouse. There’s something undeniably entrancing and exciting about someone who can have such artistic vision and be allowed to make big, frightening, artfully driven films that are super dark and get wide releases at Christmas. While I think this one may hit me in a similar way to Nosferatu, I’ll be there because I want him to keep making movies, even if they aren’t for me.
