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| Nicholas Hoult in "Nosferatu" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
In 1922, German director F.W. Murnau wanted to film an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s groundbreaking vampire novel, “Dracula.” Having failed in securing the rights, he made an “unauthorized” adaptation called “Nosferatu,” which told the same story as Stoker’s creation, but with different names for the characters and a change of setting. In the decades since, the film became one of the most recognized amongst silent films and the horror genre, due to its iconic imagery and chilling performance from Max Schreck as the titular character. Then, in 1979, Werner Herzog wrote and directed a remake, “Nosferatu the Vampyre,” a rare horror remake that lived up to the legacy that was set by the original.
Now, writer-director Robert Eggers resurrects this enduring villain in his vision of the story. With “Nosferatu,” he delivers the best horror film of the year with intense performances, a classically scary story, and a clear admiration for the source material, continuing his ability to bring his audiences into the depths of darkness.
In 1838, Ellen and Thomas Hunter (Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult) live in Wisborg, Germany, with her husband, Thomas (Nicholas Hunter). As an estate agent Thomas’ latest assignment sends him to a castle in Transylvania to meet with the reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) to sell him a mansion in Wisborg. Upon the two of them meeting, Orlok will unleash terrifying events that put Thomas, his family, and friends in danger.
The horror genre was loaded with stellar performances in 2024, and Depp’s leading work is an unforgettable capstone on the year. Depp’s performance in this film is the first that I’ve seen from her, and she leaves it all on the screen as someone who’s both terrorized and enraptured by her darkest desires. Through her portrayal, Depp does an impactful job in exhibiting the hold that Orlok has on her, seeming to always lurk in her mind as she tries to maintain her love for Thomas. However, this isn’t just a performance that’s deeply emotional, but also one that’s incredibly physical. Some of Depp’s best moments from her performance is when she has to show Ellen being possessed by Orlok’s power. The unnatural and disturbing ways in which Depp moves her body will have you unable to look away, absorbing you in the horror of what Orlok could do to someone with whom he’s obsessed. Depp doesn’t do anything less than throw herself into the grips of this character, leaving you absolutely hooked to her arc.
Just as Skarsgård accomplished with his portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in Andy Muschietti’s two-part film adaptation of “It,” he displays an ability to bring his own stamp to an iconic horror villain. Similar to his unsettling circus getup in “It,” Skarsgård shows that he can act with the makeup and beyond it. With a catacomb-deep voice and his natural physicality, he brings a performance that’s equal parts frightening and magnetic. Even in his earlier scenes where he’s obscured, Skarsgård ensures that you’ll feel Orlok’s presence as the aura of dread that he carries permeates through the screen and into the shadows of the theater.
Hoult delivers a performance that brings out both the love for his wife and the nerve-racking fear that climbs as he spends more and more time with Orlok. From the beginning, Hoult brings out Thomas’ sense of professional ambition and duty to provide for his household, but also shows someone who has a tinge of nervousness as he sets out on his pursuits. It’s a touch of fear that unravels his persona where Hoult exhibits the frightful hold that Orlok has on him, having us feel the crippling terror that infects him at the castle and stays latched on to him when he returns home.
Other strong supporting performances include Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin as Friedrich and Emma Harding, close friends of the Hunters; Ralph Ineson as Wilheim Sievers, a doctor who attempts to treat Ellen; and Simon McBurney in a disquieting performance as Herr Knock, Orlok’s loyal servant. However, the standout is Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, an expert in mysticism and the occult. In an engaging performance, he exhibits the unwavering conviction of his beliefs and knows what sacrifices have to be made to defeat the evil that plagues them.
The screenplay by Eggers offers a faithful adaptation of Murneau’s film, and Stoker’s novel by extension. It’s a horror narrative that dives deep into the dark desires that can take hold of people, all while showing how those temptations seem all the more enticing when those feelings are told to be shut away, such as society was in the time period of the film. All of this is encapsulated in the romance between Ellen and Thomas vs. the forbidden love between Ellen and Orlok. Eggers constructs a disturbing love triangle that immerses you in its light-against-darkness fight that becomes more and more disturbing as Nosferatu closes in on Wisborg, with Eggers building up the events with steadily mounting danger that not only puts the audience on edge, but also adds depth to the characters as they try to protect those they love.
Jarin Blaschke, who provided the cinematography for Eggers’ other three movies, does some of his finest work yet in his latest collaboration, providing the beautiful, yet haunting visuals that we’ve come to expect from his work. Besides his usual talent with full capturing Eggers’ detailed sets, which he does through several great single takes, he proves to be a master of tantalizing concealment as we’re introduced to Orlok. Whether he keeps him out of focus, in shadows, or just out of frame, his camerawork has us leaning forward in our seats as we try to get a better look at him, all while our heart rate increases as we continue to anticipate the potential reveal. Another notable aspect of his lensing and Eggers’ blocking is how the characters are often framed in profile or are partly in the dark, memorably visualizing the theme of people in this era conceding to societal norms, but also having hidden aspects to their personas that they’re tempted to reveal.
Just as he did with his other movies, Eggers and his team’s attention to period detail is astounding. When it comes to the production design from Craig Lathrop, who worked with Eggers on his other three films, the duo doesn’t do anything less than transport us to the time and place of the story and steep us in the relentless dread that covers everything like a crushing fog. With Orlok’s castle and the streets of Wisborg, Eggers utilizes his directing skills and arsenal of technical talent to put his horror-filmmaking heart and soul into this interpretation, calling to mind the immaculate visual work of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation of “Dracula.” Encompassing all of this is a slow-burn tone that we’ve come to know from Eggers’ horror films, spending a lot of time adding depth to the characters and their environments so that we can grasp the weight of this emotional and dangerous journey.
With “Nosferatu,” Eggers wipes the dust from Orlok’s coffin, awakening him once again, and it was worth the wait.
Grade: A
