This is Robert Eggers’ fourth feature film and fourth-period piece film. Nosferatu is unambiguous about the period and genre the film attempts to emulate: gothic horror in 1830s Germany. Egger’s is well known for his period-accurate films, Nosferatu is no exception.
Nosferatu has been made twice before, first in 1922 with F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, and again with Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979). The original Nosferatu is a German Expressionist silent film adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Murnau was unable to procure the copyright for Dracula, so he wrote a Dracula story with different characters and different details. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a remake of this film and follows the same story, with some modifications for the better.
Count Orlok of Nosferatu is a copy of Count Dracula, except instead of being handsome and charming, Orlok is grotesque and monstrous. Orlok’s goal is to prey on women; in this story, he chooses to haunt young Ellen Hutter, played by Lily-Rose Depp. He wants to take her as his bride, but Ellen has a life of her own that she is not willing to part with. Ellen’s refusal to marry Orlok triggers a macabre sequence of events. Orlok’s diabolical obsession is the focus point of the film, forcing Ellen to determine her fate and with this the fate of her city.
Nicholas Hoult plays the unsuspecting Estate Agent Thomas Hutter, who travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with the mysterious Count Orlok, a prospective client. Hutter’s wife is Ellen, the subject of Orlok’s lust and obsession. The couple are newlyweds, and Ellen has a great secret to keep from her husband; Ellen is haunted by the vampire Count Orlok. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas meets with this vampire.
The first act of the film follows Thomas as he travels to Transylvania, as well as his elongated stay at Orlok’s castle. My favorite shot of the film is in this act, when Thomas is traveling to Orlok’s castle, and he stands at a pitch-black clearing. From ahead, a driverless horse carriage comes to pick him up. This shot and the sequence that follows are the most impressive in the film. Director Robert Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke put the audience in a trance when Thomas arrives in Transylvania, and the trance doesn’t cease until the credits roll.
Count Orlok’s touch is baked into every frame. Many times, rather than seeing a physical form of Orlok, he is represented by shadows and the outline of a towering figure. Bill Skarsgård as Orlok is unrecognizable. Orlok’s look in this film is unexpected but perfectly grotesque. Orlok’s body is decomposing, he is horrifying to look at without his cloak. Unfortunately, he is seen naked multiple times throughout this film. Skarsgård uses a deep voice and a thick Romanian accent when speaking as the vampire. This accent is perfectly over the top and the raspy breath Skarsgård employs for the character makes Orlok believable as a centuries-old vampire.
After a narrow escape from Count Orlok’s castle, Thomas travels back home to Germany, where Ellen is experiencing melancholy and hysteria. At night, she is disturbed by the presence of the vampire Count Orlok. She sleepwalks and speaks aloud with the vampire. There is an eroticism between Ellen and Count Orlok. He beckons to her and thanks to her gift with the occult, she communicates with him and allows him to do whatever he pleases. This is the most disturbing element of the film; instead of fearing Nosferatu and pleading for him to leave her, she welcomes his presence.
Lily-Rose Depp gives her best performance yet as Ellen. Originally Ellen was cast as Anya Taylor Joy, but the actress had to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. Lily Rose was cast in her place. Lily Rose was a perfect casting for Ellen, as Ellen’s possession progresses, Lily Rose’s physicality becomes more and more disturbing. She contorts her body in horrifying unbelievable ways; I am in awe of her performance and dedication to this film.
Upon Thomas’ return, Ellen’s focus has shifted to her ailing husband. Nosferatu comes for her when she is most vulnerable, he offers to either take her hand or kill her loved ones. She must decide within a few short days, but Orlok waits no time to begin wreaking havoc on both Ellen’s loved ones and the entire city. Orlock travels to Germany, and with him, he brings a plague.
Count Orlock is a vampiric manifestation of the devil. He brings great evil to Germany. With his arrival he brings a dark deadly atmosphere to the German city. Visually, the count’s presence is noticeable in every scene of the film, regardless of if he is in the frame.
Beautiful gothic lighting, sweeping camera movement, and stunning static shots in combination with top-notch production design create an incredibly immersive film. The color and lighting in the film change as the subject matter gets darker. When the subject matter gets to its darkest core, color is absent; this is perhaps a nod to the original 1922 black-and-white film. In many scenes, practical lighting such as candlelight and fire motivates the dark cinematography and adds a spooky heavy ambiance. Nosferatu (2024) is a sinister addition to the gothic horror genre. The film has a slow pace throughout, and much of the horror is discovered through the subtext; although there are a few jump scares and even some body horror.
Nosferatu is a gothic vampire masterpiece. It is, however, not for everyone, it might even be too strange for some horror fans. However, fans of Robert Eggers’ work and gothic horror should check this one out. As the film’s tagline states, “Succumb to the darkness”.
Score: 96%