The Tell-Tale Heart

After adapting Hansel & Gretel, Robert Eggers decided to adapt a tale by Edgar Allan Poe for his next short film. In this adaptation of The Tell-Tale Heart, Eggers uses elements that he has used in his previous short film and that characterize his style. The intertexts, the font style and the black circle are characteristic of classic films and Eggers applies a classic style in this short film. The short film perfectly adapts Edgar Allan Poe's vision giving it a gothic and elegant style. In addition to the costumes, the setting and all the elegance, the short film manages to replicate the tension of the story. There is no dialogue until the end and much of the short film is accompanied by an uncomfortable silence. This contributes a lot to the tension and we see this discomfort in the servant who must take care of the old man. The vulture's eye is not the only thing that disturbs the servant, here what torments him the most is the appearance of the old man. They used a puppet that is very well designed and feels like a living corpse. This could be one of the best adaptations of Poe's works, but the only thing that matters is that it ends in a rather ambiguous way. In the original story, the servant finally confesses to the authorities and although the same thing happens here, it feels different. Here it seems more like the servant loses his sanity, the officers are a product of his imagination and the whole confession seems to happen only inside his mind. That is because they decided to give a lot of priority to the servant's psychology and it was not a bad move. They knew how to take advantage of all the mental torment that the servant suffers in the original story. Here the idea is that the servant ends up in a mental hell from which he can no longer escape and although in the story it is not quite like that, it also leaves the idea that the servant will continue to be tormented by his crime. So The Tell-Tale Heart (2008) is a pretty successful adaptation and is recommended for lovers of Poe's literature. My final rating for this short film is 8/10.

A correct version of the short story of Edgar Allan Poe. Fair atmosphere, nice use of light, fair crafted tension and the splendid use of objects for propose the respiration of story.

A young man, caretaker of a venerable gentleman. The murder, after the long period of not comfortable routine.

The details are the heart of this beautiful adaptation, the chamber pot and its contain having a good role.

A visit. And the terror , so familiar from text, so honest and precise created in this adaptation.

All is known. But the elegance of the work of director deserves applauses. Because you just feel the tension, fear, reactions and final confession. And, being Robert Eggers the director, the gratitude is guaranteed.

This gothic short features good production design and impressive lighting as the narrative gradually careers into the macabre. Imagine if Robert Eggers adapted all of Edgar Allan Poe's best stories to the screen...

Robert Eggers has once again proven his mastery of atmospheric filmmaking with his adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. The film is a pitch-perfect execution of Poe's macabre tale, delivering a gripping, visually stunning experience that dives deep into the psychological torment of its narrator.

Eggers' stylistic trademarks shine through, reminiscent of his breakthrough projects like The Witch and The Lighthouse. Every frame is meticulously crafted, drenched in shadow and dread. The film's aesthetic captures the claustrophobic paranoia of the protagonist, with production design that feels authentic to Poe's time yet timelessly haunting.

The sound design deserves particular mention-its sharp, deliberate details and unnerving silences amplify the tension beautifully. The score is equally extraordinary, crescendoing to a chilling climax that perfectly complements the protagonist's descent into madness. It's as though every auditory element contributes to the "heartbeat" of the story, growing louder and more unbearable as the film progresses.

This adaptation is clearly Eggers at his best: bold, stylish, and unwavering in its dedication to the source material's dark themes.

In short, Eggers' The Tell-Tale Heart is a triumph of cinematic storytelling. Highly recommended for fans of psychological horror, Poe, and Eggers' distinctive filmmaking. Don't miss it.