StubStack: A Holiday Extravaganza! (A Complete Unknown, Babygirl, and Nosferatu)

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season has been a joyous one!

Over the holidays, since my family gatherings wrapped up before Christmas Eve, I had the chance to catch three movies—one on Christmas Eve, another on Christmas Day, and the third the day after Christmas. I had a great time and enjoyed all of them! I’ll share a few thoughts on each, and hopefully, I’ll convince you to check at least one of them out in theaters.

A Complete Unkown

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown

If you enjoy Bob Dylan’s music you’ll enjoy A Complete Unkown.

The film isn't particularly plot-driven, which at times makes it feel a bit flat. However, the acting and musical performances are outstanding. I was unexpectedly moved by many of the songs, whether performed at a music festival or in more intimate, personal moments.

I’d be remiss not to mention Timothée Chalamet’s mesmerizing performance as Bob Dylan. He’s getting heaps of praise and it’s all deserved. Chalamet perfectly captures Dylan’s wry, stubborn, and often inconsiderate attitude, yet I found myself oddly drawn to him and rooting for him despite his many flaws.

Chalamet’s singing, which feels more inspired by Dylan’s voice than an outright impression, along with his impressive guitar playing, adds a genuine spark to the film, making the live musical performances all the more captivating.

Chalamet is supported by an impressive cast as well. Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Ed Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie, and Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash all deliver standout performances that enrich both the film and Chalamet’s portrayal.

While the plot—focusing on a young Dylan’s rise in music, the tension between acoustic and electric sounds, and his love triangle with Sylvie and Joan—lacks real stakes and momentum, A Complete Unknown is still an enjoyable time at the theater. Anyone who’s a fan of Bob Dylan, or Timothée Chalamet for that matter, should check it out.

Babygirl

Nichole Kidman as Romy, and Harris Dickinson as Samuel in Babygirl

Babygirl is about much more than sex, but sex is at its core. The film explores themes of sexual frustration, sexual freedom, sexual desire, and power dynamics both in and out of the bedroom.

Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman as Romy, a powerful tech CEO, and Harris Dickinson as Samuel, a young intern recently hired by her company. Their tense first encounter sets the stage for the complex and unorthodox relationship that unfolds between them.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I thoroughly enjoyed Babygirl! The central performances are enthralling. I found myself glued to the screen whenever Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson were on screen together; their chemistry and the nuance, and detail of their performances is pure movie magic. Unfortunately, I wanted more of them and less of everything else on the periphery of the film. While some of this withholding may have been intended to tantalize, it didn’t fully land for me.

That said, if you’re into horny movies or movies about sexual dynamics, Babygirl is well worth your while!

Nosferatu

Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult as husband and wife in Nosferatu

Nosferatu is one of the best-looking films of the year, and therefore one of my favorites.

Countless images in Nosferatu have stayed with me and will likely be imprinted in my mind for a long time. Director Robert Eggers's talent for crafting beautiful, resonant visuals is key to his uncanny ability to set a tone, build a world, and create a vibe. That skill is evident throughout Nosferatu.

The eerie, ominous atmosphere in Nosferatu is perfectly executed. It’s consistently dark, foggy, and gloomy—exactly the kind of environment I’d imagine for a film about a bloodthirsty vampire descending upon a new community to terrorize.

The look and feel of Nosferatu are not its only compelling qualities. Despite the story being a familiar one, told in various iterations over time—from the original Nosferatu to Dracula and beyond—I still found myself unsure of how it would unfold. This uncertainty kept me on the edge of my seat, especially in the final 30 minutes as the story built to its spellbinding climax.

All the performances in Nosferatu are enjoyable, but Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård are particularly remarkable. Skarsgård, as the titular Nosferatu—or Count Orlok—is virtually unrecognizable. He looks and sounds like a completely different being, calling his character a "person" doesn’t capture the essence of his transformation. This unsettling metamorphosis enhances the film’s sense of unease and dread.

However, it’s Depp who truly steals the show. Her portrayal of Ellen Hutter, a woman bound by a psychic connection to Nosferatu, is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The physicality she brings to the role is mesmerizing, with her body and face contorting in ways that are terrifying in the most fitting manner. Through her performance, she effectively conveys her character’s fear, allowing the audience to feel it as their own.

I enjoyed Nosferatu so much that I might even return to the theater for another viewing. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing it again and hope you’ll take the time to check it out while it’s still playing in theaters!