FILM REVIEW: Nadja (1994)

Nadja 4K Restoration - New Release Review

Director: Michael Almereyda

Starring: Elina Löwensohn, Peter Fonda, Jared Harris, Martin Donovan, Galaxy Craze

Written by: Michael Almereyda

Produced by: Amy Hobby, Mary Sweeney

Cinematography by: Jim Denault

Original Score by: Simon Fisher-Turner

Synopsis:

A vampire family deals with their father's death in modern day NYC while being pursued by Van Helsing and his nephew.

Thoughts:

Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' might be one of the most adapted novels of all time. It seems like every year there's a version of the book (or a spin off) that hits either the small screen or the big screen. There's been many of these adaptations that have taken liberties with the source material in order to create something original and intriguing, but perhaps none have been able to achieve something so diverse, so mesmerizing, so fucking cool, as Michael Almereyda's 90s grungy, neo-noir take that features Dracula's children as the main characters.

Elina Löwensohn stars as the titular character Nadja, the illegitimate daughter of Count Dracula and a peasant woman from "the shores of the Black Sea". An elegant and sensual undead female who glides through the clubs of New York City in search of men to devour. She becomes aware that her father has been killed so she visits her brother Edgar (Jared Harris) who is dying in hospital and attempts to free him. The siblings do not get along at all and Edgar actually sides with Van Helsing (Peter Fonda) and his nephew Jim (Martin Donovan) in trying to capture and kill Nadja.

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Originally released in 1994 to almost zero fanfare, 'Nadja' slowly gained cult status mostly due to the inclusion of David Lynch as Executive Producer and financier. He also has a brief but fun cameo. Although the film is rife with gorgeous imagery and a hypnotizing atmosphere, it was partially shot with a very poor camera that actually makes some scenes almost unwatchable. The version I got to see was a "work in process" 4K restoration which greatly improves the majority of the visuals so the beautiful artisty that Almereyda and Jim Denault intended to be seen can in fact be seen now. There are still a few sequences that appears to have pixelated shots but it didn't really affect my overall viewing of the film.

Plot is not one of the film's strong points and it becomes very messy but is held up by the arthouse direction and camerawork, which isn't perfect but gives the film an uncanny, almost halluncengenic feel. The acting is a bit messy too and probably not helped by the uneven script. Still for the most part the cast deliver what is needed with Löwensohn, who steals every frame she is in, being the standout as the moody, semi-ethereal Goddess. Screen legend Peter Fonda provides some potentially unintentional comedic moments as the iconic vampire hunter but he does it with charm at least, however Martin Donovan and Galaxy Craze are pretty solid, despite the latter often drifting into robot mode.

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It reeks of Lynch without ever fully embellishing his style completely. Don't expect a bloodbath. Don't expect much horror. But as far as low budget US vampire films go, this is as melancholy as it gets.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Gavin Logan

'Nadja' 4K Restoration opens in NYC on February 6th at BAM