Turns out, I rended up reviewing another Christmas movie. Technically Nosferatu takes place over Christmas time and a fully decorated tree is on screen for at least one scene. It counts.

• Directed by Robert Eggers
• Written by Robert Eggers, Henrik Galeen, Bram Stoker
• Starring, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård

Director Robert Eggers has made it clear how big an influence seeing F.W. Murnau’s 1922 version of Nosferatu, at the age on 9, had on his career. As someone who watched all available vampire movies with my dad at a similar age, (Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula was awkward!) I totally understand the appeal of the now 102-year-old German Expressionist film. Its dreamy film style and over-emotive performances are ideal for the nightmarish folk horror of the very unlicensed adaptation of the novel Dracula.

The original Nosferatu had a long path to public recognition. Despite changes to the source material, Stoker’s heirs sued the filmmakers. The courts found in favor of the Stokers, and ordered all copies of Nosferatu destroyed. Like any good horror movie villain, a few escaped. Today it is regarded as one of the most influential movies of all time. 

How do you remake something that important to so many people

Eggers has a reputation for making less than mainstream films. The Lighthouse is one of my favorite films that I can’t recommended to anyone. I just don’t know anyone else who would enjoy it, other than maybe That One Friend I see horror movies with.   Eggers has a strong sense of visual storytelling and his movie The Northman, an adaptation of the inspiration for Hamlet, was interesting enough to give me confidence in his handling of the folklore and sorcery aspect.

My hopes and expectations were high heading into the theater with That One Friend. H³ noped out of this one after seeing the trailer and honestly, that was a wise choice. This would not be a good movie for him. This was however an excellent movie for me. 

Review – Light Spoilers!

Eggers’ Nosferatu is in many ways a love letter to Murnau’s. It is a beautiful movie about dark and ugly things, monstrous creatures, and societal taboos. Because its origin point is the story of Dracula, many of the elements are familiar.  The characters in this version stood out to me; as the original is a silent film, much of what we know of them is inferred through their acting.  Eggers’ choices in reimagining these familiar roles make the 2024 Nosferatu distinct from other versions of the classic vampire tale.

The movie starts in black and white, with a young Ellen desperately praying for companionship and love.  An unseen vision responds gently, then attacks her, giving her a violent seizure.

Years later in 1839, now-adult and newly married Ellen lives in a small village in Germany. with her husband Thomas Hutter. Ellen has woken from a nightmare, but Thomas has no time for her; he has to go to work to win a promotion and earn more money for them.

Ellen has no interest in social climbing or status. She is very vocal about what she wants and needs, but Thomas dismisses her. As this takes place in 1839, much of this makes sense.  Strict gender roles and expectations, as well as class roles and rules, are very much at play here. Even if Ellen herself wants no part of them, she is still in a world that holds her to them.

The Brave Husband

As is Thomas; he is as trapped as she is. Nicholas Hoult portrays a man who is not brave or overly smart, but wants to do the best he can for his wife.  He’s susceptible to pressure from his boss, Knock, and his wealthy friend, Harding, but not his wife. Why is it that men will listen to everyone but the person who loves them and knows them best?   Thomas is not the hero of the movie. By the end, he and the rest of the town will need to be rescued from Orlock’s evil.

After learning that Knock is sending him on a trip to the Carpathian Mountain to finish paperwork for an elderly Count Orlock, Ellen begs him not to go. She had a terrible nightmare where she married death, and is surrounded by corpses, but she’s never been happier. Thomas dismisses her concerns as melancholy, and after dropping her off at the Hardings, takes off.

The Wealthy and Respectable Friends

Fredric and Anna Harding, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin respectively, are another couple bound by societal expectations and roles. He is carrying the weight of his father’s legacy, running a shipyard at a young age, when all he really wants to do is be a family guy and be with his wife and daughters. He really wants to make more kids, he’s pretty clear on that part. I enjoyed his character as he felt the most fully realized.  On paper, he had the perfect life until Orlock. Watching a pragmatic man struggle to understand the supernatural, even as it tears his town apart, is compelling. The extent of his love and desire for his wife, and his grief-induced madness over the devastation that Orlock causes, is horrifying and tragic.

Anna has a much smaller role, but an impactful one nonetheless. While it might be easy to dismiss her as counterpoint to Ellen, the good wife to compare against, she stands up to her husband and is far from submissive when Ellen is concerned.  The two women are close friends, and Anna is willing to push back against the conventions of the time to fight for Ellen. She pushes Harding to be compassionate and seek better treatment.  Harding listens to his wife, and while Thomas is off on the worst business trip ever, things get dire at home.

Victorian Medicine

Ellen is suffering from seizures, night terrors, and sleepwalking, Since the traditional methods of bleeding, dosing her with ether, and tying her to a bed aren’t helping. It’s time to call in Nosferatu’s version of Van Helsing. Since Orlock’s origin point relies heavily on sorcery, this expert, Von Franz, is an alchemist of sorts. Willem Dafoe gives a pleasantly subtle performance as the mildly crazy and ostracized scientist.  He’s a man used to being an outcast and empathizes with Ellen, even as he eagerly dives into the mysteries in front of him.  Von Franz and Ellen come to the same conclusion about the solution to the Orlock problem. He tells her what she must do, but she knows already; she’s known since her dream about death.

The Tragic Heroine

Cursed with supernatural senses and isolated from the rest of society because of it, Ellen is and always has been alone in the world. Her love for Thomas helps keep her grounded, and his love for her validates her. When he leaves, it creates an opening for Orlock to supernaturally manipulate, coerce, and threaten his way into her life. Ellen however is stronger than the men around her.

While they run in circles and falter in the face of evil, or give in to corruption, only she is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. It’s a sacrifice many of them may not fully appreciate, and it’s a tragic and bleak one. It’s also beautiful in its own way. In a time filled with men bravely doing manly things, they now find themselves unable to do anything, while the wife fixes things in the way only a woman could.  This modern retelling follows the 1922 movie, but this impact was far greater. 

The Monster

Orlock is ugly, monstrous, and cruel. He is a thing to be feared, not romanticized. Bill Skarsgard is unrecognizable as the count, and after seeing dozens of movie trailers announcing that different films have made vampires scary again, Nosferatu finally succeeds. I know the mustache got some heat but it’s period and region appropriate.   Everything about him is uncomfortable to watch, and I can’t wait to see it again. 

If I had any nitpicks about Nosferatu, it’s that I don’t quite understand what Orlock’s plan for Ellen was. He goes to a lot of effort to be with her, but he never really clarifies what he’s going to do once he gets her.  It feels like if he just kills her, that’s such a waste of time and resources, but I’m not a near-immortal sorcerer vampire, so what do I know.

Making Despair Lovely

Eggers put a lot of effort into referencing some of the great visual moments from the original without copying them directly.  My favorite scene from Murnau’s version is the coach picking Thomas up in the mountains. I was delighted to see it recreated in a way that was modern yet in the spirit of the original. 

The movie uses color to great effect, moving between the black and white world of Orlock, to the pale grey German Village. Warm light is used sparingly, as is the comfort it gives. Even a blazing fire is shot through a muted lens.  Every choice is made with narrative intent and the impact here is significant.

Visually it’s haunting, and eerie, and close to perfect.  As is the final scene in the movie; a closing reminder of the horror and beauty of Nosferatu.

Final Thoughts

Nosferatu may not be for everyone. The first half is closer to the traditional Dracula novel, and the second has some issues with in-world timing and pacing. The ending is true to the original film and not the novel, which may leave some viewers unsettled. However, for me it was a wonderful experience; visually stunning, tense and moody with a couple jump scares and disturbing imagery. A lot of reviews talk about the sexual themes. This is not a sexy vampire movie; this is a disturbing one. 

Nosferatu is now playing in theaters:

Later this week I’m listing my best of 2024 until then check out my other horror reviews:

• Terrifier 3
• Smile 2